Imagine coming across the Snack Shack cart (Also known as the Wildcart) while wandering the corridors or sitting in the cafeteria as the cart strolls in or even stumbling upon the Snack Shack that sits facing the swimming pool area. As a former GAA student, you would either pass by it without a second thought or stop and buy a snack, whether it’d be a bag of chips, a beverage, or even a chocolatey biscuit. However, as a new GAA student, you would be curious and confused about what this Snack Shack is.

The Snack Shack is a store operated by students under the GAA Booster Club—it has been operating for around 10 years and the Wildcart was added in 2020 to The Snack Shack/Booster Club. The GAA Booster Club is a parent-volunteer organization that helps support GAA’s Secondary Athletics and Fine Arts departments by raising money, having volunteering time, and contributing funds with the aim to provide enjoyable and community-building activities for the students and families of GAA to better enhance the organization’s or teams performance.

The Snack Shack is situated right by the pool. The Middle School and High School lunch periods are when Snack Shack runs its two Wildcarts. While one of the other carts goes to the planetarium area, MPR, and the secondary students’ hallways, the other cart stops by at the veranda and the cafeteria.

The Snack Shack is managed by a total number of people from the Booster Club Board members: President Maha Younes, Treasurer Mona Sarkis, Purchasing Manager Nagham Zeeni, and student volunteers. Not only are those people involved with Snack Shack, but an Athletics Director: David Rashleigh, IB Business Teacher/Business Club Lead: Antoine Rogers, and a Liaison: Kasey Stafford are also involved. 

“Booster Club is an important means of connecting parents and other community members with the curricular and co-curricular activities of students,” President Maha Younes stated.

Students that have volunteered purchase the goods, operate the store, restock the supplies, organize the finances, and more!

Students when volunteering for Snack Shack get assigned a volunteer, shift time, and day that remains the same throughout a whole quarter with no substitutions that can be made. The students are allowed to report for duty only during their assigned shifts, and they only get allocated a maximum of two shifts per week. This schedule that the student volunteers get is always shared daily with all the teachers.

President Maha believes that providing this type of structure to the students through Snack Shack will allow students to participate in an authentic learning experience while adhering to school expectations. 

Since Mr. Rogers, an IB Business teacher, is involved, Snack Shack provides CAS activities for IB students. As a result, business students were able to apply what they had learned in class to their shifts. Furthermore, it has built a wonderful community in addition to being a fantastic fundraiser that provides money for tournaments, student support, and events that support the arts and athletics.

“Wildcart is one of the most popular student groups at GAA. We started with 7 students, we are now around 60, with so many on a waiting list,” President Maha claims. “Come visit the snack shack during lunchtime and you will be able to see how it has made us become a little family.”