Impacting My School by Holly

Impacting My School by Holly - July 2018 Scholarship Essay

If I was running for student body president, I would focus on reaching out and connecting with my classmates and underclassmen. One of the problems I see at my school is the lack of communication between the faculty and students.
One example was the homecoming pep rally last year. The homecoming pep rally occurs the day before homecoming in the school gym, and each grade competes against each other. Each grade has representatives that compete in various games. This is the pep rally in which every student shows school spirit and pride. Last year, however, the teachers changed some of the games that students compete in during the homecoming pep rally, and the school competition suffered. Students lost interest and became angry. The biggest disappointment came from the teachers taking away the annual dodge ball competition between the grades. They claimed that dodge ball was not a safe sport to play.
While I respect their decision to remove the game, I believe the situation could have been handled in a way that would prevent the students from practically protesting the whole competition. Students were not forwardly told and only heard rumors. The situation was never really addressed. This situation of removing a game from a high school competition might seem silly or pointless to people, but it truly impacted the school. This situation led to a drop in school spirit and led to kids not participating. I believe the situation could have been prevented through better communication.
If I were to become student body president, I would institute a monthly meeting for students to come together and discuss topics ranging from painting the school parking lot to organizing homecoming week spirit days alongside the faculty. The best way to reach students and encourage school wide participation is listening and considering the students’ perspective. I would strive to positively impact the school by creating a stronger connection between the faculty and students.