“It’s a little weird being back. I’m still getting used to the crowded halls after being on Zoom for a full year, but in terms of student government, it’s really great,” reflects Ms. Feirsen, an advisor of Millennium’s student government. She notes how difficult last year was during remote learning. “We tried the best we could to build a community but it was hard with cameras and mics off which is totally understandable. I think it’s really great to be back in person which can help students across grades connect more.”
After all the craziness of the preceding school years, life on campus at MBHS is back in full swing. All students had different comfort levels and mixed feelings towards hybrid learning. Some loved staying in their pjs all day, meanwhile others felt less productive at home. While we are back in the John Jay building, it’s noticeably different compared to other school years being that rules are additionally stricter and everyone is more cautious of COVID.
For student government, this means a return to in person meetings and planning in person events. Members and their advisors are back to meeting in room 301, finally, and are hard at work on upcoming projects. Members of SG divide themselves into four different committees: spirit week, fundraising, school store, and school events. Typically there isn’t a student leader for each committee, but, as committed school representatives, everyone contributes by brainstorming and planning for the year. Meetings are energetic as members are busy at work sharing ideas, drafting emails and creating posters.
The November Thanksgiving Food Drive is an example of a project set up by SG. It was a team effort to turn this idea into a reality for MBHS students. Juniors Alyssa Vasquez and Ella Sperry needed to find an organization that would accept the donated cans, create posters for the hallways, for students to see, and ultimately figure out a way to make this drive engaging and rewarding. It was a long process, but all the hard work led to a successful drive. Over two hundred cans have been donated and the winning advisory received a donut party. This is an insight of many more projects to look forward to from student government.
During hybrid learning, student government struggled with figuring out events that everyone could participate online that’s equally engaging. Some of their endeavors were a success, like an online movie night. Home Alone was streamed over Zoom. With the chat feature, students got to communicate with each other, similar to a Netflix Party. In other circumstances, parts of last year were also enlightening. Ms. Feirsen recalls that “Certain students engage better on zoom. Those who didn’t attend in person events, attend online events.” Keeping activities hybrid was essential in balancing out student’s comfortability. Online was more convenient for some considering a number of students live far and couldn’t stay after school for in person events.
With COVID, there are more guidelines that members need to keep in mind when planning for this school year. Alexa Stoddart shared that “We can’t incorporate food and host events in small spaces. That just goes against all COVID regulations.” Caroline Korman agrees. “There are lots of limitations with COVID. Like we would do a movie night but we can’t have snacks so that would be boring.” When Caroline first joined student government, she thought there would be a chance for her to become a student representative. “It wasn’t like that at all! We plan school events and stuff which is more fun.” This is her third year being involved with SG. The experience and love she has for everyone is the reason she continues. Caroline helped plan the ice skating event in February, which has also been a success. “I hope more people can participate and be more involved. The more people there are, the more fun it’ll be.” Ms. Feirsen has similar expectations for this year, adding that she would “love to see more school spirit. This year is a great opportunity for community building. There are more chances for students to bond; I’m already seeing connections being made. We’re slowly getting used to Millennium again!”
SG currently has a lot lined up for this year. “I can assure that student government will do very intentional planning,” Ms. Feirsen concludes. We can only expect the best for this upcoming year. Reestablishing the school community will be a challenge, but we know that student government will help us get through with a thrilling and safe school year!