Behind every successful homecoming dance, every foot stomping pep-rally, and every countless other school event that runs perfectly, there lies a team of students working hard at creating a well-oiled machine. Student Council, with members from every year of the school, is that group.

“A lot of the events at this school are planned and perfected by Student Council,” Emma Wenckowski, senior and Student Council president, said. “We work behind the scenes on so much, like Charity Bash, for the student body to enjoy.”

Planning school-wide occasions does not come without its obstacles. Currently, Student Council faces the challenge of finding a new event to replace last year’s Blacklight dance, according to Christopher Bennett, teacher and Student Council sponsor. With the dance out of the calendar, the club’s spring slot is open for something new to excite the student body.

“We make decisions based on the responses [that] members get from their friends and peers,” Nathan Holbrook, junior member, said. “With Blacklight, we felt that the majority of people wouldn’t come again, so we decided to try something new.”

The opinion of the people is the most important factor in Student Council’s decision on what their events will be, according to Wenckowski. Since Blacklight struggled to make a profit, members must consider what will appeal to the student body and be effective in terms of cost.

“Sometimes we get inspiration for new events from discussing and bouncing [ideas] off of each other or from past events we’ve done that have had great turnouts,” Wenckowski said. “And sometimes, we get inspiration from what we’ve noticed is successful at other schools.”

While nothing is official, Student Council’s newest idea is an activity resembling a field day. Student Council was inspired by Stevenson’s ‘Spring Fling,’ an event kicked off with an all school assembly before a day full of outdoor games: such as tug of war and volleyball, according to Wenckowski.

“The best thing about the field day, if we can pull it off, is that anyone can participate,” Wenckowski said. “It doesn’t matter if you play sports or if you are a varsity athlete. You just need your enthusiasm and a couple of friends to have a good time.”

Bringing this idea to life is not a quick task. The possible field day must be planned and approved by administration before it’s made official. According to Holbrook, members must do all of this amidst club elections and their own compacted schedules. Wenckowski agrees and says,“it’s definitely a time commitment.”

“Whether it’s weekly meetings, or a [Panera run] for officers to chat, a lot of responsibility is required.”
Student Council’s role spreads far and wide. Despite having a sponsor, it’s the students that meet every Wednesday to plan many of the major student events and activities. Officers meet outside of school to help pull off their events.

“I’m in charge of helping [the officers] with administrative things and letting them know what can and cannot work,” Bennett said. “[However] the majority of these events are student run. All major decisions are usually up to them.”

It’s this student leadership and freedom that makes the club a true representation of the school. Showcasing all parts of the school regardless of what clubs or sports you’re in is what Student Council is really all about, according to Holbrook.

“Looking at our club, you’ll see faces from every part of school,” Holbrook said. “In the end, all of our Wednesday meetings are just about finding what can be exciting and fun for every single person in the student body.”