SPUD week is the biggest week for Norman North.  With around 250 students in the SPUD committee, 50 more in royalty, and 3 SPUD chairs, SPUD is the biggest student organization at Norman North. Raising over $200,000 last year for their recipients was a great feat, but the SPUD chairs think they can do better this year. I talked to the SPUD chairs about what their plans/goals for SPUD are. Here is what chairs Conner Leevipran, Katie Weinland, and Jaden Smickles shared:

Brandy Liu: What are the goals you have for SPUD this year?    

Katie Weinland: We have the obvious goals like raising money, and our goal is to try and beat last year’s total, and that’s always the goal for every SPUD week [is to] break a record; really another goal we have is to spread love to our recipients and show them love in any way we can.

Conner Leevipran: Yeah I think another goal we have that really is the goal for every year is, you know, bring the school together, and bring the community together. You know, right now, there’s just so much to be polarized about, but this week and the ultimate goal for this week is to just forget all that and have everyone working on it.

B: What made you guys want to be SPUD chairs out of all the things in DEN?

C: For me, my sister was a SPUD chair a couple years back, so it’s always been, like, around my family. And it’s something that I’ve always [wanted to do]. I saw her do [it] and I really admired that, so it was just something I’ve always wanted to do.

K: Yeah, mine’s a little different. I’m the odd one here. My siblings went to Norman [North] but they weren’t very involved, so I was the first person to be really involved in my family. But someone actually really encouraged me my sophomore year to run for DEN and [Connor and I] were both video chairs before we were SPUD chairs. I think, probably for both of us, another reason we decided to be SPUD chairs was that we, as video chairs, got to go meet the recipients a lot more up close than a lot of people in DEN ever did, and I think through that experience, I realized truly what its about. It’s not about the money; It’s about just being there for people that are in a really tough part in their life right now. And so that’s kinda what made me decide about halfway through my junior year to run for SPUD chair. And also, like, just being in DEN, you get to see behind the scenes, how much work it is, and how it’s worth it to me, so really I think that’s what the biggest thing is. Like, getting to know last year’s recipients really inspired me to run for SPUD chair.

Jaden Smickles: My story is a lot like [Conner’s]. My sister was a SPUD chair, and so it just kinda grew in my family. I was really close to one of the recipients last year and saw the way SPUD impacted their lives.

B: What were some characteristics you were looking for when you were choosing members for the committee?

C: I think one of the big characteristics we were looking for was to see how much you cared [about SPUD], and that was very easy to tell through the application, based off how much you wrote, the words you used, and the emotion you put through it. You know, you can see all that in the application. So that was the main thing we were looking for, is to see that you care and love SPUD as much as we do.

K: I think something that is really important to note is that, like, we based it solely on applications, so it is really hard at times to convey your love for SPUD in words. We were just tasked with this really hard job, cutting 400 applications to 250, and I would say is one of the hardest things the 3 of us had to do actually. So we based it purely off of applications and we really tried to not be biased, even though it was really hard cause we know some people really would work [based on] the things they put down as their leadership skills. Another big question that matters a lot on the application is why you want to be a part of SPUD? I think a really important part was their motivation behind being part of the SPUD committee, so I think those are the 2 things we focus on the most.

B: Being seniors, have you seen a change in how SPUD is, if so, how?

K: I think our advisor, Mrs. Lawson, in our 4 years in high school, has really been on the kick of change, and she really wants new ideas and fresh ideas. I remember when we were running that was something she told us over and over again. Come with new ideas, being open to change, and I think it’s because SPUD week has been around Norman North for so long now that you have to give it a new spark. And I think that’s why we’re so successful and we keep growing; because we change things, we try new ideas and we don’t just stick to the old ways. [We still keep] tradition though. Wanting to have changed but still have the tradition.

J: I think one of the ways SPUD has changed is a couple of years before, when we were Freshmen, there wasn’t even an open assembly. Like the dances that everyone knows, the videos; none of it was like that until we were about 8th graders.

K: Another thing that has changed is we added a SPUD class. Before SPUD was run purely out of student council, DEN, and now we have a second-hour class, dedicated to SPUD, so we get to go straight from student council to the SPUD class. It’s really nice and those kids are really dedicated; they’re the backbone of everything we do now.

B: Do you think SPUD has changed you as a person?

J: I feel like we all have the same answer to that.

K: I think being a SPUD chair is really hard. Like, you don’t realize it until you’re there how hard it actually is. But it’s made me grown so much and really taught me that love and kindness and just being there for each other is the only way we’re going to get through the bad things in life. And love and kindness gets you through the bad days, and we’re learning more from the recipients then they are from us. Like, they’re giving more to us than we ever give to them, and I think that’s a good takeaway. It’s not just about the money, It’s about the love we give to each other and getting to help each other during difficult times.

C: I think for me it’s really [shown] me that sometimes people need help. A lot of times people are too prideful to ask for help, but everyone needs help in some way or fashion, it’s just sometimes to always extend that helping hand to people and offer them help, even if they’re not asking for it, because you know even if they’re not asking for it they could be in need of it.

J: Yeah, and always, you know, growing up, you never really know what’s going on in other people’s lives, and should always treat people with kindness. And I’ve never really seen how true that is [until] we got to be SPUD chairs.

K: Another thing I really want to say is that SPUD this year has really challenged me and my faith. Being very physical in helping someone and also being so young and doing it. We talk about this all the time, that we do a job that people get paid thousands of dollars to do and we do it for free. We’re kids, so we’re not always right knowing exactly what we’re doing, so we definitely mess up at times. And I think that learning and being humbled to that is really humbling for us to try it.

B: What is the most important skill you guys attained from SPUD and Norman North that you guys will leave with after you graduate?  

C: I think the most valuable skill I have gained, and I’m still not very good at it, but I’m just a little more organized now. Just because SPUD requires a lot of organization and a lot of planning in order for it to work. So I’ve never been an organized person, but I was kinda forced to learn to become one being in this position, and the value of organization.

J: I think one big skill I have learned is to talk to people. [social skills]

K: I think the thing I’m gonna take away that I learned the most [from SPUD] is kindness and appreciation. There’s a lot going on, and we all get stressed out, our whole class gets stressed out. I would say [another trait I’ll take away from SPUD is] understanding. Sometimes there’s days just a hard day and it’s really stressful and you have to be able to show kindness and understanding when someone else is stressed they won’t always be kind and It’s just something you need for the rest of your life.

SPUD week will happen the 7th-11th of January. There are many events coming up including restaurants nights, SPUD dog show, and SPUD stock. Make sure to follow norman north’s SPUD week Instagram @SPUDweek for updates. SUPPORT SPUD!!!!