MODG 9th grader Blake Traylor has started a movement called “#summerparty” on social media, which has sparked interest among both MODG students and parents. One parent offered to help plan it, and the students are currently working on a promotion video of students saying, “I want a summer party!” Blake is hoping #summerparty will raise more awareness, and that more students and parents alike will get involved in the planning and process.

1. How did you come up with #summerparty?

I came up with #summerparty during the last five minutes of the March For Life (Winter Formal) dance. As we were all leaving I heard a few students talking about how they wished there was a get-together in summer. I got the idea to create a student-led movement on the MODG proboards that would push for having a summer party. I talked to one or two kids about it as we were walking to the car; they were all really excited, and it cemented the idea in my head.

2. When did the #summerparty movement start?

It started shortly after the MODG formal in January, the actual idea came of course during the March for Life, but I started the Proboards thread and started the actual movement about a week after the March.

3. Where do you think it will happen?

Probably in the USA; that’s where most people live. It’d be cool though to have it in like the Azores or something, though I doubt anybody would be able to go to it.

4. How do you think #summerparty will affect students?

I just think it’d be kind of a morale boost for everybody, and it’d be a really popular idea among the students. Everybody would get to link up, have fun, dance, talk to each other, do everything that friends do. And not just in the chat-box or on Skype, but in real life. It would be a great way for everybody to meet, and also a change to an otherwise uneventful summer.

5. How many students do you think will attend?

We’ve got a lot of people showing support, probably around 50 students on the proboards are showing interest, with another 20 or so with #summerparty in their signature. It’s pretty big, at least on the proboards. I’ve got one or two people on Google Plus to put a few posts out, so I think students outside of the boards also know about it. At the actual event though I think the number may be smaller, on a realistic scale. I’d love to have a lot of people but I think at the first party there may not be as many, as parents are busy. I think, too, if there is no major national event going on (like with the January thing being centered around the March for Life) the number may be smaller because parents don’t see the worth of just a social activity… that’s why it was our hope we could have it collide at or around the date of some major event that people would attend also.