When science teacher Jason Lee became ASB adviser in 2017, he brought with him a fresh perspective and desire to help student leaders succeed. After five years of advising, Lee has decided to step down to focus more on his role as the science department lead.

“I think the ASB adviser is a position that should be turned over fairly frequently to keep somebody fresh,” said Andrea Badger, former ASB adviser who served from 2009 to 2016. “What I told Mr. Lee when he took over is that I felt like I had given everything that I could to the class and I had nothing more to offer. The way we were working through the program, it was almost starting to get formulaic after a period of time, and that doesn’t benefit anybody.”

The ASB adviser has many roles. In addition to communicating upcoming events through Schoology, Lee also supports ASB in planning events and activity logistics.

“He’s always been a really integral part of ASB,” senior and ASB president Joe Lin said. “He’s always there to advise us and help us out with all the various projects that we have throughout the year.”

After advising the Class of 2017, Lee decided to become the ASB adviser in his sixth year at Lynbrook while teaching Physiology and Independent Study: STEM Research. During his time as class adviser, Lee was responsible for supervising rally setups, fundraising and attending events.

“I really enjoyed advising students as a class adviser and working with student leaders who really wanted to create a positive culture in the class,” Lee said. “Seeing how great students were and how excited they were was why I became interested in stepping into the role as an adviser.”

Upon becoming ASB adviser, Lee slowly embedded his own ideas into the class, gaining perspective on how the student body and ASB merge together. One of Lee’s changes was the introduction of ASB, Staff and Class Committee meetings: monthly meetings among ASB officers, class officers and class advisers to be more collaborative in  discussing and planning events.

“I hoped to try to bridge the gap between the third period leadership class and the rest of the leadership team, such as class officer teams and Legislative Council,” Lee said. “There were a lot of divisions, so that’s why we created the ASCC.”

Throughout his years as adviser, Lee’s favorite events have been the annual Coffee House Talent Show and Homecoming — the former because it allows students to showcase their talents in a laid-back and judgment-free environment, and the latter because of how chaotic and energetic it is, an atmosphere that Lee feels is impossible to replicate.

The replacement process for ASB adviser is two-fold. First, staff can submit their names if interested in the position. Then, the activities assistant principal decides the panel of student leaders, teachers and staff to interview the candidate. The informal interview is used to determine who has the best vision and personality to fit the role.

Lee hopes that the next ASB adviser can carry his energy and experience and continue the tradition of advising a successful student government.

“The little bonding experiences — all those things are really valuable, not just for the students but also for me,” Lee said. “What really kind of gets me going is working with the students, improving their experiences and having their passions realized. That’s definitely something I’m going to miss a lot.”