CREATIVITY, SERVICE – HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT COUNCIL (HS STUCO)
Nothing much has happened with all of my other CAS activities, the focus this month has been on the HS STUCO – and boy, a lot did happen this month! Elections happened at the beginning of this month, and I dare say it was the best one the school has ever witnessed. Running for treasurer was Gahyeon Kim. Running for secretary were Bishka and Josan. And yes, running for the president-vice president (PVP) position were Reyhan and Harry, Nabilla and Natasha, as well as Seung Hwan and I! Having been a secretary for the past five years (since I was grade six), I thought it was about time to take my involvement in the HS STUCO to another level. I have been planning on running for president for as long as I can remember, I just felt that I needed to gain enough experience before running [learning outcome addressed: undertaken new challenges, shown commitment and perseverance in activities] . This year, a new elections mechanism is in place, because instead of having each executive candidate running on their own, the PVP candidate must run as a pair. I had a few options, but ended up going with Seung Hwan.
With the weeklong campaign, Seung Hwan and I campaigned through multiple media including posters, stickers, speeches, and yes, even a song. Running against two of my closest friends Reyhan and Nabilla made this elections exceptionally meaningful to me, because I learnt the value of both friendship and sportsmanship. In all my years running for an executive position, this year was my best campaign yet. Not only because I won the position, but also because I did so many things I never though I would – opening my campaign speech with a rap was a highlight [learning outcome addressed: undertaken new challenges, planned and initiatied activities, worked collaboratively with others, developed new skills] . Read all about the elected executives here!
Top: Our campaign posters
Bottom: Our campaign sticker
The elections and being inaugurated took pretty much the first part of my October, but after being elected, that is when the hard work comes along. Immediately after our election, Seung Hwan and I immediately opened sign-ups for homeroom representatives. We received so many great entries, and it was difficult to have to deny membership to some people. Nevertheless, if we just let everyone in, then there is a lack of entitlement as the members would feel as if we are just accepting everyone. Additionally, with less people, each person will also have more responsibilities, making them more passionate and committed to the organization. In the end, we accepted 30 homeroom representatives – read all about it here [learning outcome addressed: worked collaboratively with others, considered ethical implications of actions] .
This month did not end there. I right away put the homeroom representatives to work by holding the Retreat Day, which is a day off school where HS STUCO members plan and map out everything we plan on doing and achieving for the rest of the year. It was a highly productive retreat day, and I feel grateful to have been bestowed with such a dedicated bunch of homeroom representatives. Read a recap of our Retreat Day here! [learning outcome addressed: worked collaboratively with others, planned and initiated activities]
One thing that I have planned on and have started doing with this year’s HS STUCO is increasing the usage of the HS STUCO blog. I would like to make the blog the go-to place for all things STUCO-related. This way, any information released in the student group or the STUCO’s Twitter will be centralized. Should any students require any clarifications or would like to address any questions, the STUCO blog is the place to go! I believe that this initiative will minimize miscommunications between students and enable the HS STUCO to communicate messages more effectively [learning outcome addressed: undertaken new challenges, considered ethical implications of actions] .
CREATIVITY, SERVICE – THE EXPERIOR
Another activity that I am adding into my CAS list is the newly-established school e-newspaper called “The Experior.” The Experior did not actually start off as a CAS activity, but it is a part of one of my juniors’ personal project, in which she is making the e-newspaper as the final product. Nevertheless, after much consideration, we decided that why not plan this long-term instead. Currently, we have 10 writers and one editor, and we’re still deciding on logistics such as name, website, and who’s responsible for what. The name “The Experior” itself came from myself. I came up with the idea whilst I was researching for words that are associated with journalism. The word “Experior” means to “test, prove, find out, experience, do,” actions that, we decided, are essential for writers and journalists. We have yet to finalized the roles and responsibilities, but I am excited to be able to take part in this project. Writing has always been one of my hobbies, and I think it is great that it can now be useful for students who would like to find out more about what is going on inside the school or with the world in general. I cannot wait to get started!