Student Goverment & Personal Growth
The summer before high school, I read Siddhartha. The book follows a teenager as he tries to make peace with himself and the suffering around him. At the end of the novel, he realizes this moment is all that matters, so we should make the most of it. Tomorrow isn’t promised; we can only control what we do today. Soon after I learned this lesson, I saw a post about the Student Council, and I decided to step outside my comfort zone. When I walked into B206 for the Freshman Student Council information meeting, I didn’t understand what I was getting into. I couldn’t see the hours of building presentations, organizing fundraisers, and meeting new people ahead, or any of the future speeches or challenges. When I stepped into that room, all I felt were my nerves and sweaty palms, yet I stayed.
Sophomore year I had the privilege of leading the council. Although I wasn’t sure what we should do at first, we began planning movie nights, Valentine’s Grams, and other activities. During this time, I noticed inconsistencies between the different class councils, such as confusion around forms or poster approvals and meeting organization, all of which could have been avoided.
The variance in organization will only widen, I believe, without direct intervention. It might yield better results if all grade levels could have joint meetings, perhaps once a month, to disseminate knowledge from the upperclassmen to lower. To help with this, I have compiled a folder with all of my presentations and given it to the other presidents. By implementing policies that connect the councils, there will be more events because of an improvement in both communication and management. While Wednesday Meetings are adequate, with once-a-month joint meetings specifically to broach intercouncil issues, there could be greatly improved cohesion, collaboration, and therefore growth.
Junior year (and especially planning the Prom) has been the most satisfying yet. Working on a project for months and then seeing it come together reminded me why I do Student Council in the first place. I continue because it gives me a sense of purpose. Seeing people laughing and enjoying themselves is the essence of STUCO, and that should be its aim: to create good memories.
I have led this council for two years now, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share my experience. I am also thankful for the chance to learn, to grow, and to help bring alive the ideas of other student council members. Together, we can build opportunities that will impact the lives of the student body members, or at least make someone’s day, because that’s what really matters– not only grades and scores, but also the organizational strategies that can outlive our time at Desert Vista.
High school can be a time filled with uncertainty, but like Hesse’s Siddhartha taught me all those years ago, this moment is all we have. We can’t force ourselves to live in the future; that will only induce anxiety, but, with the right approach, this moment is all we’ll need. The Student Body Government can improve the Desert Vista High School experience for students–those of today, and hopefully, even those of the future.