This past school year has been strange for all of us; however, the SHS student government has adapted to the situation and found creative ways to connect the SHS community, give back to Westchester, and hold many fun class and school-wide events.

Although the actual process of planning an event hasn’t changed much this year, the type of events being planned definitely have. “First and foremost, the biggest concern of the Class of 2023 government is always the safety and well-being of students. As a result, over the course of the year, we’ve tried to put a focus on virtual events and ones that involve minimal contact,” explained Sophomore Class President David Diao. Not only have events been altered to fit safety guidelines, but some of the goals and focuses of these events have shifted to better fulfill the needs of the student body. This year, we want to focus on improving the mental health of the student body. We’ve noticed that over the past year, a lot of kids have been feeling disconnected, and the return to in-person school has made many people more stressed,” commented House Secretary Matthew Barotz ‘23.

Through careful consideration, the SHS student government has planned many COVID friendly events to bring together the SHS community. “One of the biggest events we put together was our International Day in March. It required a lot of planning, coordination with other clubs and teachers, and outreach to students,” explained Barotz.  Not only did the student government help plan for events that benefited the high school, but also the community as a whole. “We’re proud that we were able to help our community during these difficult times with a canned food drive and toy drive during the winter months,” said Diao.

Looking back at what the SHS student government has accomplished this past year, it is obvious that they have been working hard. However, the year isn’t done yet, and neither is their planning. On June 17th the Sophomore Government is hosting a Sophomore Movie Night to celebrate the end of the year with a movie and ice cream. You won’t want to miss it because it’s the first full in-person event since the pandemic started. “This event is definitely the highlight of the year,” agreed Diao.

With such a successful year and even more fun events coming up, it’s hard to imagine what could be improved upon for the next school year. However, after a long year consisting of Zooms and hybrid learning, it seems like everyone is ready to return back to normalcy. “I’m very excited to come back next year and hopefully return to things that the government usually does, like planning pep rallies and the carnival,” explained Barotz.