Student Congress (StuCo) members are confident about the upcoming school year. SENIOR sunset was already successfully held, and Homecoming festivities began on Sept. 24.
“Overall, I think things have been going really great,” SENIOR class Secretary Sarah Wilson said.
StuCo’s mission is to embrace the school community by bringing together parents, faculty members and students, into a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Beyond bringing people together, StuCo wants to make students’ time at WHHS enjoyable.
“We all share passion for the school, and we really care for the student body,” SENIOR class President Maya Sampath said.
In an effort to make events more exciting, StuCo has partnered with several student-run clubs and organizations.
“I know we have worked with YPC [Youth Philanthropy Club] on having face painting at some of our events,” Sampath said.
Despite the excitement the staff of StuCo brings, it can prompt many challenges.
“I would say probably our biggest challenge so far this year has been communicating with the whole student body,” Nicole Pennekamp, a co-advisor for the executive board, said.
It has been difficult in past years to communicate ideas to students, but by utilizing morning announcements, posts on Canvas and flyers throughout the hallway, students are starting to become better informed about these events.
“We want to make sure that kids are only getting the most important announcements and the most important information so that nothing is really overlooked,” Pennekamp said.
In order to organize school-wide affairs, fundraising is crucial. When an event occurs that does not include the entire school, the grades participating work hard to supply funds and keep things running smoothly. Sampath explained how hard the class of 2025 and the class of 2026 have worked in past years to meet the strict budget for Prom and Homecoming.
“Fundraising is our main priority right now,” Class of 2028 Treasurer Fi Kalagayan said.
Not only are fundraisers important, but supporters’ investments are also extremely beneficial. Along with challenges related to the budget, StuCo must plan for all scenarios and be prepared to respond to those scenarios.
“With student council, you kind of have to think about every possible thing that could go wrong with the event, because anything that you don’t plan for is going to happen,” Sampath said.
To keep a fair distribution of work throughout the staff of StuCo there are various jobs. This includes a secretary, treasurer, president, vice president and a team of representatives. They join forces and apply their various skill sets to efficiently complete tasks.
“[Student representatives are] just to voice other students’s thoughts on a lot of issues at school, whether they’re good or bad,” Wilson said.
Although planning for these events can be stressful at times, it is always rewarding to see the finished result. Not only do students get to attend the functions that they have worked so hard on, but they get to see their classmates enjoy the festivities and give feedback. Additionally, attending the events can give ideas for improvement in the future.
“Getting to attend those events, also as a student, and seeing those come to fruition as successful events is always really exciting,” Wilson said.
Disclaimer: Sarah Wilson and Maya Sampath are also on the Editorial Board of the Chatterbox.