Often, students feel overlooked by their administrators, as if their input is invalid. Student surveys have revealed students feeling skimmed over, and as a student myself, I can attest to this. A lack of student voice in my middle school made me feel like the last priority and just a number on a spreadsheet.
However, when I got to high school, everything changed.
As an incoming freshman, I was unaware of the major impact my high school student council had on our school system. That was until I got elected. The election process was tough; out of nearly 40 applicants, only two were selected. This rigorous process shows just how effective our student council set out to be. Anything we suggested was considered. Our council was only lacking in one department: diversity. Our school had lots of clubs and organizations that were going unrepresented on our council.
This problem has a simple solution, but few people have heard of it. After struggling so long with properly diversifying our council, we stumbled across an idea. It’s called the Interclub Council. Interclub Council is a space where one representative from every club meets each month to discuss events and fundraisers happening in their clubs. We come to communicate and work together regarding school events.
This communication is the lifeblood of our high school.
This communication is the lifeblood of our high school. Every group of students should be able to voice their opinions regarding the governing of their school. In the words of Haley Thacker, “Interclub Council allows every organization to have a voice and share their ideas.” By dividing into groups to discuss upcoming events, we make certain that every club has a voice. Our group sessions combine at the end of every meeting for a large open discussion. This discussion is used as a road map for the next steps our council will take.
Interclub Council also serves as a way for clubs to communicate upcoming events and fundraisers to avoid overlap. We take this information and post the calendar in the main hallway, where it is accessible to all students. This discussion ensures diversity in school projects.
The Interclub Council’s work does not stop there. We also orchestrate one service project every year that benefits our student body. We have donated water bottle filling stations and school supply wall hangers. This is one of the most important service projects our council completes, and it’s solely because every club gets a say.
Our Interclub Council is one of the greatest tools my school has, and I strongly encourage every school to utilize a council such as this.
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