The Spartanburg High School Student Council is a vital part of the school’s activities and decision-making processes. It is comprised of four general student body officers, nine class officers, and 24 senators-at-large representing three different classes.
For Jennifer Waddle (12), it has played a consistent role in her life from elementary school.
“I’ve been involved in some form of Council since elementary school, and I was truly inspired to participate more once I hit ninth grade,” Waddle said. “I ended up running for Student Body President because it felt like the next step. The only way for student activities to thrive is through student involvement. As this is my final year at Spartan High, my main goal is to encourage student participation and enable all students to create lasting memories!”
The House of Representatives is a subdivision of the Student Council, comprising students who take on minor roles to contribute to their school community. They support the student body through various activities, including volunteer work.
William Yeargin (12) thinks that while a helpful part of the Student Council, the House of Representatives (HoR) could be used for more and this drove him to run for Student Body President.
“My interest in running last year started when I was in the House of Representatives. In there, we had little say over student government issues and a few other representatives felt we were mainly just used for volunteer work as opposed to helping run student council and being an integrated part of it,” Yeargin said. “So, because of this, I decided I wanted to have a larger voice in helping make school-wide decisions. I felt like my experience being in HoR for three years would give me new insight into school problems and, from a higher position, help give HoR a bigger role.”
Students like Yeargin seek greater responsibility and aspire to gain more experience by running for higher positions in the Student Council.
The Student Council is responsible for planning and coordinating fundraisers, parties and social events to raise funds for school activities, community projects and charitable causes. Members are also responsible for voting on suggestions to be presented to the administration, planning the school’s student activities program, and choosing projects to work on throughout the year.
Kaia Brown (9) is a freshman who is currently running for a position on the Student Council this year.
“I was interested in Student Council because I wanted to help make decisions for the school. I want to positively impact SHS by helping bring people together and connecting with others. My plan for this year is to bring improvements to school events and to the student government,” Brown said.
Through various projects and activities, the Student Council actively encourages citizenship, scholarship, leadership, human relations and cultural values.
Payten Shell (10) is the sophomore class president and loves being part of the Student Council.
“The Student Council is not only the representatives of the Student Body but also a group of amazing, intelligent, and outgoing students who devote their time to making school a welcoming place for all,” Shell said.
