StuCo Gears Up for a Busy Fall with Numerous Events

After a visit from Principal MacFarlane and a second from several deans, Student Council (StuCo) used this week’s meeting to recap and make announcements regarding upcoming StuCo events.

Two weeks ago, Principal Lisa MacFarlane held a question and answer session with StuCo to discuss a number of topics, including mental health and her goals for her tenure as principal of the Academy. Last Tuesday, four deans—Dean of Residential Life AJ Cosgrove, Dean of Students Melissa Mischke, Dean of Health and Wellness Gordon Coole and Dean of Academic Affairs Karen Geary—launched a discussion at StuCo about the problems caused by Exeter’s hookup culture.

StuCo President and senior Rebecca Ju facilitated a discussion about the two previous meetings and asked for the Council’s opinions on the conversations had. “We held a shorter meeting. We just went through committee reports and a short reflection on the discussions we’ve had,” Ju said.

Reflecting on the past meetings, many Council members enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the new principal on a more personal level and speaking with her on school issues. Senior Class Vice President Levon Brunson said,  “I think the principal addressed some important issues and wasn’t afraid to honestly answer questions posed by StuCo members.”

StuCo members also enjoyed conversing with the deans. Many appreciated the opportunity to ask questions and seek responses from the administration directly, especially in light of the confusion and E Book changes after the St. Paul’s case. StuCo member and lower Emily Pelliccia believed that the conversation reflected the overall student outlook on the hookup culture and shed light on issues within the visitations policy.

“Coming in as a new student, especially after hearing so much about the St. Paul’s case over the summer, the sexual climate at Exeter is definitely something I’m very aware of,” Pelliccia said. “The deans’ visit allowed me to hear the students’ questions and the deans’ responses. It helped me understand the implications of illegal visitations and how the school deals with these issues.”

Lower and StuCo member Pedro Sanson said he was impressed with what the administration had to say and how they had come to the students directly. Sanson said that “it was great to see that the deans and the principal are interested in student opinion.”

Others, however, while appreciative of the visit, were disappointed by the meeting with the deans and wished that the deans had been more open to the StuCo members and the school in general.

“[The deans] comment on sexual assault as much as I expected. Additionally, some things they clarified about restrictions and illegal visitations should be information accessible to everyone in the E book,” Brunson said. “Overall I’m glad they met with us, but they could have been more receptive to our suggestions for improving Vs policy.”

The next big administrational cooperation with StuCo will be the Nov. 3 StuCo open forum assembly on mental health and wellness. There, a panel of counselors from the Health Center will respond to student concerns. StuCo hopes that the assembly will serve as a platform to spark discussion on mental health across campus.

“We hope to give students an outlet where they can express their opinions. The issue of mental health is multi-faceted, and we understand that it is a sensitive topic,” StuCo Vice President and senior Jun Park said. “We hope to continue working with everyone that is involved so that we can create a cohesive solution.”

In addition to reflecting upon the two major meetings, StuCo ran through its usual committee reports. While most committees had no Council announcements, the Recreational (Rec) Committee had exciting news for the coming weeks.

Foremost, Rec committee plans to build more excitement and school pride the week before Exeter/Andover (E/a) by selling vuvuzelas, boom sticks and foam fingers, as well as placing free psych packs in all students’ POs. The week of E/a, Rec committee will also host a spirit week, which includes a class-organized color dresscode on Friday and the possibility of a pajama day.

The lack of school spirit amongst the student body was a major concern entering this academic year. Hoping to encourage enthusiasm, StuCo recreational committee head and senior Lucy Weiler said that the Rec committee “wants to make sure every home game on E/a is as packed as can be with students who have been given every opportunity to show their school spirit.”

From exciting events to crucial administrational and student steps, StuCo plans to address a multitude of student concerns. The upcoming StuCo events will kick off a year of important changes in the school system and culture.