JJHS Student Leaders are working to improve student life and community. Student Council and Campus Congress have taken on issues that students have been especially vocal about: block scheduling, student stress, and school involvement. Leaders have shown a unified interest in listening to student feedback, planning projects, and working with school administration to make changes that directly reflect the needs of the student body.
Wes McCourtney, one of two 11th grades presidents, said his focus this year working to implement changes that students have voiced opinions about. He explained that “a lot of students have been telling us they want to see changes to the length of each class in the block scheduling model” and that he [Wes] “wants to improve the school based on what students are actively asking for.” Wes said one of the biggest challenges he is facing is trying to satisfy everyone. Even in trying to acknowledge the needs of the student body, Wes noted some impediments to addressing student need. He said that “the hard part about changing the length of block scheduling in the middle of the school year is that it’s just not a realistic goal for student leaders to focus on.” So, while not all progress will be immediately implemented, JJHS student leaders are working to acknowledge and apply student feedback to realistic goals.
Hudson Lutz, the other Student Council president, has been working to help reduce student stress. He said that “the biggest issue students have with block scheduling is the length of the blocks. It is hard to stay focused for that long, so we are pushing for a designated break time within blocks to help reduce stress.”
During our interview Lutz also mentioned another source of stress: the date of prom. He noted that, “there were conflicts with sports and AP exams, but after meetings with administration and the athletic director, we got it moved to May.” Hudson explained that many students were unhappy with the earlier date in April due to AP exams and cold weather for pictures! After discussions with administration, however, the date was moved back to May 9th, which he said made the student body very happy and eliminated one source of student stress.
Jordan Tabs, the Campus Congress treasurer, is leading the Volunteer Committee. He said that “we have split into different committees like Infrastructure, Volunteer, Academic, and Special Events. Our main goal is to increase the productivity and happiness of the student body.” Tabs explained that each committee focuses on specific areas that are of interest to students. “In the Volunteer Committee, we find opportunities for improvement and share them with the Campus Congress. Right now, we are working with the Red Cross and organizing donations to a variety of charities,” Tabs explained.
Overall, Student Council and Campus Congress leaders share the goal of addressing student need and improving the JJHS student experience. While every problem can’t be fixed instantly, the leaders are using ideas and feedback from students to drive their agenda. By communicating with administration and listening to the students, they hope to keep improving life at John Jay!
