With all the physical changes happening at both East and West Campuses, Student Council, otherwise known as StuCo has decided it’s their turn to make a change in the school community.

Both campuses have introduced the new concept of an open student council meeting. This means is that people who aren’t in the Student Council can have meetings with the StuCo board and talk about their ideas on things that could be improved or changed in the school.

East Campus has held an open meeting for a while now, but it’s becoming more popular, whereas West is just now implementing this idea. Raising Student Voice & Participation, known as RSVP, is a cohort of about 28 students from East StuCo. This group runs “student summits” where these students visit East Campus AIM classes to see what school reform and changes that should happen during the school year. 

 “So basically we have the StuCo board, and then we have everyone else, which are people who like to come in and listen along with pitch some ideas,” said sophomore and secretary of East StuCo, Alexandra Fogleman. “I really like how there are always new people coming, and new ideas, so we’re never stuck without any ideas, and we always have something to talk about and improve on.”

Issues or topics brought up at these meetings range from getting a coffee shop to gaining back a late start Tuesday, and even parking lot issues, along with many other ideas. One of the biggest issues going into effect this year, is a boys, intramural volleyball team. 

“Student Council has been mostly involved with like school spirit and like Homecoming events and is more bands like that we hadn’t been so much focused on like the student government aspect in the past,” said East StuCo advisor Leah Pelletier. “Helping to get the voice of the students on what changes they want for the school as opposed to just like the fun events that we’ve put on now.”

For students such as Julia Druml, president of West StuCo, opening these meetings is a great way to bring the school community together. 

“We try to be an advocate for the student body,” says Druml. “We’d like to be the voice that gives students a way to express what they want to be changed.”

West Student Council has also held their own meetings where individual classrooms can meet up with student council and express what issues they have, or what they would like to implement for the school. The student council is trying to be an advocate for raising student voices mainly pertaining to upperclassman.

Both campuses wish to continue these meetings in the hopes that more people will show up with their ideas, and that they can make changes to keep the student body happy and in a good environment.

Additional reporting for this story by Kyla Henige.