Under the direction of teachers, Assembly Crew, its band, and concerned staff, the historic Harwood assemblies are getting a rebrand.  Common Ground investigates the history and checks in with those involved in how the rebrand is going. 

The Harwood Assemblies have been an important part of the HU community for longer than most  staff can remember. It is a special time when we all get together to support and appreciate each other and our community.

 The first HU assembly occurred in 1996 when community members  would present skits, challenges, and music every Monday morning to the school. Since then the assembly program has been loved and cherished by many. “The assemblies are a really unique tradition that no other schools in our area have. It is a designated time where we celebrate community, and all feel like we are a part of something,” says program co- leader Brian Boyes.

At the end of last year, the Assembly Program leaders and Harwood music teachers Molly Clark and Brian Boyes realized that both the program and how it was managed needed to be changed.  “We saw a need for an update based on how assemblies went last year,” says Clark. That realization sparked the idea to create the new and improved Assembly Crew. 

To start things off, Clark and Boyes interviewed over 30 candidates who were interested.  From these interviews, they established  a team of students from grades 10-12. This crew has scriptwriters, actors, emcees, social media managers, stage managers, lighting and sound engineers, and many other important roles. 

This year, it also has the very first audition-based Assembly Band.  In prior years the Assembly Band was by teacher recommendation, but recently, there was an explosion of interest in singers. This year, five singers take the stage at every assembly. These singers include seniors Zoe Blackman,  Ellie Buckingham,  Elsie Pawul, and juniors Maddie Stephan and Indigo Leese.

This year they have had two successful assemblies so far. After their first assembly, the crew had dealt with many sound and tech issues, but got a lot of positive feedback from the Harwood community after a recent showcase with minimal problems. “I feel that these assemblies were a lot more thoughtful and more work went into them. We definitely have some kinks to work out, but I think we are on the right track” says sophomore scriptwriter Jane Schaefer. 

So, while the assemblies have had their ups and downs over the years, this year’s Crew hopes to put a fresh foot forward and continue the legacy that is the Harwood Assemblies for many years to come. “The crew has a lot of room to grow, but there is a lot of dedication and commitment,” says Clark.