StuCo Appoints Committee Heads
By ERIN HAN, ANGELA HE and GRACE YANG
The committees that constitute the Student Council act as the working gears of the student government, holding the responsibility of carrying out the initiatives laid out by the Council and Executive Board.
Before their official assumption of office in the second week of the spring term, the newly elected Executive Board selected committee coheads over the spring break, deliberating on Zoom calls over the copious applications that they received.
Lower Lauren Lee, co-secretary of the Executive Board, provided insightful guidance on the expectations and responsibilities associated with serving as a committee cohead. “The main thing is to put in the hours,” she emphasized, stressing the importance of dedication and commitment to the role. Lee further highlighted the significance of balancing the Executive Board’s overarching vision with the unique leadership qualities each cohead brings to the table. “Listen to Exec’s vision, yet also make sure you’re presenting your own leadership skills throughout the process,” she explained.
In terms of applicant qualities, Lee offered insight into the attributes she prioritized during the selection process. “I was looking for applicants with the right combination of student council and leadership experience,” she began, underlining the importance of a demonstrated track record in student governance and leadership roles. Lee added that “Passion for their committee’s mission is key,” highlighting the need for individuals who are deeply invested in driving meaningful change within their designated areas of focus. Lee also highlighted the fact that “The ability to listen to and deliver on the tasks set forth by Exec is essential.”
Upper Anna Holtz, vice president of the Executive Board, provided an overview of the deliberation during the selection process. “Definitely their previous involvement with Student Council would probably be the biggest thing that’s considered,” she started her response with a solid participation the Executive Board is looking for. Followed by qualities such as “Organization skills, their application, how much effort they put into it.” She ended her response with the importance of “Recommendations, because obviously we [Executive Board] don’t see everything.” Overall, the Executive Board was thoroughly taking each student’s application into consideration, as she highlighted that “They were tough decisions; for each committee, there’s only three spots.” The Executive Board delved deep into each applicant’s qualifications and suitability for the roles. Therefore, she has faith in the new coheads: “We wrote out some goals for them, but reading their application they all seem passionate and have a lot of ideas of their own. So hopefully they’ll weave with that same drive.”
Most selected coheads were dedicated members of their respective committees through this past year. Upper and Mental Health Committee cohead Boden Woods spoke about how the Mental Health committee has remained a part of his life since arriving on campus as a new upper, saying, “The first term I was here on campus, the Mental Health Committee held an event that my friend was running. Its [organization] seemed like such a nice thing to be a part of and so I joined the committee, and have just been a very active member [ever since].” He continued, “I decided that the next would be to run for committee head. I’m hoping to host more of these fun events through the spring and next year.”
Cohead of Policy Committee Dylan Richardson echoed, “I’ve been working with the committee for so long, just not in an official leadership position, so the work is not necessarily new to me—but it’s really being able to say that I’m a cohead, that this is what we’re doing, and being able to deliver that speech in front of the StuCo assembly [that’s new.]”
Some coheads also expressed that their personal experiences were linked to their dedication to their committee. Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee cohead Tristan Zhang shared, “Coming from Toronto, the most culturally diverse city in the world, I noticed many students in our school aren’t aware of each other’s cultures. This is why I would like to host culture nights—where different foods from many cultures are served, kind of like our club fair but with food—and talent shows for students who want to show off their backgrounds.” He added, “I wanted to help show-off all the types of cultures around on campus, [whether that be in the] dining halls or through different events on campus.”
Policy cohead Marco Rodriguez shared that his drive stemmed from his stress of the student voice, “I just care about our community, and I care about making a difference. I’m passionate about being a voice for the students. If there’s a concern that the student body has, I feel like they need someone who’s willing to go to faculty and let them know that we want X and Y to happen. I know that that can’t always happen, and I know that faculty have their ways for doing things, but I think it’s incredibly useful both for the administration and the student body, to have someone who can just say, ‘Hey, X, Y, and Z is the issue, how can we find middle ground?’”
Life Committee cohead Jannah Maguire explained what her role entails, “As a committee head, I will be working with my other committee members and the rest of StuCo to work on initiatives that the student body suggests. A lot of this role will be building relationships with and working with adults on campus to help make these changes happen.”
“[The Life Committee] handles all of the dorm orders and [logistics around] adding stuff to the dining halls. Life is a committee that gets a lot done, and I thought that I could help be an important part of the Student Council [by contributing],” offered prep and fellow Life cohead Logan Liu.
Woods detailed the specifics of the Mental Health committee, “Being able to plan events, and being in touch with people in CAPS are both things that are very important for this committee specifically. I’m mostly just excited about making people happy with these events. I think the point of this committee is to make people’s lives just a little better on campus, so that’s what I’m excited about.”
Rodriguez explained what the responsibilities are for the Policy committee, as well as committee coheads across the Council, “You have to get in contact with the other coheads, have to sit down with the Executive board, and also have to submit a budget proposal for your committee. You gotta meet with other committee members as well. Right now, what we’re doing is coming up with a schedule for our committee, for the rest of the term, [and noting the] things we want to get done.”
As for the newly appointed coheads plans and aspirations, Richardson expressed ideas on the shortcomings of the schools current dress code, and the need for a reformation. “the general idea is we want to move back towards a more formal dress code than we have in the ebook right now because it doesn’t look good to have a written rule that we do not enforce”
Zhang eagerly shared his vision for a potential culture night, reflecting on his own past experiences with similar events. “I am most excited about a potential culture night,” he expressed. “I remember going to culture night when I was in elementary school and trying food from so many different countries all in one venue.”
When discussing his plans for the Life Committee, Liu emphasized his eagerness to initiate upgrades within the dining hall. “I’m looking forward to introducing new additions to the dining hall,” he stated with enthusiasm.
Within the Policy Committee, Rodriguez detailed plans to enhance accessibility by advocating for a talent portal available in multiple languages. “Yeah, that’s both for international students. And for first-generation students. That will probably be a collaboration with the tech committee, but that’s something I’m really passionate about making happen,” he explained. Expounding on his aspirations for reform, Rodriguez expressed a desire for comprehensive inclusion. “Something I’ve yearned to see is, you see, the schools for further division have taken youth from every quarter as supporting youth from every quarter, right. And I think they’re doing an okay job already. But it could be better. There’s gaps to be filled. And I think that, you know, I want to have my part in being able to fix that.”
In the broader context, Woods articulated his aspirations for the Mental Health Committee’s influence, emphasizing his genuine enthusiasm for the role. “I’m mostly just excited about, like, making people happy with these events.” With a passion for improving the well-being of his peers, Woods eagerly anticipated the opportunity to contribute positively to the student community through meaningful initiatives and support. “I mean, I think that’s the point of this committee is to just make people’s lives just a little better on campus. So that’s what I’m excited about.”
The newly appointed Student Council committee coheads represent a diverse array of passionate individuals committed to advancing the goals of the student body. With their varied backgrounds and dedicated involvement, these coheads are here to bring fresh perspectives and drive change within their respective committees and the broader school community.
