Student council plans, listens
ABOVE: Some members of Fairmont’s student council at the high school in Fairmont on Friday. Back row from left: Senior Vice President Selvin Forsythe, grade 11, Senior Treasurer Grace Simpson, grade 10, Senior Committee Chairperson Carys Gudahl, grade 10, Junior Committee Chairperson Makenzie Gerhardt, grade 7, and Junior Student Body Reporter Ellie Perkins, grade 7. Front row from left: Senior President Lilly Laven, grade 12, Junior President Landon Traetow, grade 8.
FAIRMONT- Homecoming is next week at Fairmont High School and its planning has been the first major project of the year for its current student council.
Members of the council have been meeting on a weekly basis since July and have played a major role in organizing the week’s events. Overall members of the council said they started the year off on the right foot.
“(The year so far has gone) really well, I think everyone’s very suited for their roles so we’ve been able to get a lot done,” said Senior President Lilly Laven.
“I think we’ve had some hiccups along the road behind the scenes and that comes with the job, but we do our best to keep going, face it, and solve the issues as we go,” said Senior Vice President Selvin Forsythe.
Outside of events members of student council are trying to expand their role at the high school.
“We’re more than just a group that plans stuff,” said Forsythe.
Members of student council can play a crucial role in representing the interests of the student body within their schools and the larger community. Their work on the council also helps students develop leadership, advocacy and organizational skills.
“If there’s something that (students) have questions on or they’d like to see happen within the school they can bring it to the council,” said Melinda Chambers, the council’s staff advisor.
“I have a different lens on the way the school does stuff. Being part of what goes on in the school, you know more and with that there’s more of an understanding why things happen,” said Forsythe.
“(Lots of things) go on behind the scenes and then once you have a voice in it you get to be a part of that,” said Laven.
This year’s increased participation has also led to the formation of a separate council for junior high students; the first time such a body has been formed in several years. Members of this group can specialize in representing younger students and be mentored by their senior counterparts.
When asked for what exactly students thought was important, representatives said their interests were broad and difficult to summarize.
“A lot of students just have their own opinion on everything that that school does,” said Laven.
“A lot of my peers come to me with ideas about things that we could do or (ways) to grow in our school and community. They’ll come to us and we bring those ideas to the table and decide what is best,” said Senior Committee Chairperson Carys Gudahl.
“(Students want staff to) listen to the student body and what they want before we start doing stuff,” said Junior President Landon Traetow.
Over the course of the upcoming year Fairmont student council plans to expand its scope, planning more events and promoting more student involvement in the community.
The next items on student council’s agenda are multiple fundraisers for Tackle Cancer during the month of October. Proceeds will be donated to the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund.
At the end of the month student council is also planning a rec night for junior high students, the first of such events since the 2016-2017 school year.
In December the school will hold its annual Hunger Games food drive. During the month students compete to raise donations for local food banks.
In January the council will also be planning the high school’s winter formal early next year. Later in the year the council will plan the school’s first Spring Fling since before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The council is also looking into a community service outreach program which could start later this year.




