Unbeknownst to many, at MIHS, there is a group of student senators who come together weekly to discuss issues and attempt to change policies brought up by their representatives and other students. They seek to fulfill student needs and support the school behind the scenes by proposing changes to policies. It is often confused with ASB, which acts as the face of student leadership and as the legislative force in our school, as they work for the “spirit” of the student body by organizing dances, assemblies and parades.
These two groups represent two very different aspects of student leadership that together support our school’s needs and keep students engaged in the administration’s decisions.
Yearly, the student body from each grade votes on seven senators to represent their grade in the Senate for four years. Senate leaders go into Islander hour classes in September and October to discuss the Student Senate with freshmen and show them how to join. The Senate itself has diverse leadership positions, which are voted on by the members of the Senate, including the Speaker of the Senate, Class Speakers and Outreach Coordinator (which is new this year). With the help of the new Outreach Coordinator, the Senate will be striving to make students aware of their Senators and how they can get involved.
“Since this is the first year we’ve had an Outreach Coordinator, she and I have been talking a lot about how we want to set up an Instagram [and] how we want to set up a web page about different things that really showcase to the rest of the student body exactly what [Senate] is,” current Speaker of the Senate Inaya Chandrakant said.
The Senate meets weekly during Islander Hour in the LPR, where they go over an agenda with the help of associate principal Matt Steen and coach Enrique Hernandez, and work on their individual tasks necessary for their specific positions. As an advisor to the Senate, Steen plays a crucial role in offering a view into how the administration works and how the Senate canhelp play a part in the administration’s endeavor to develop our school in positive ways. Similarly, two student representatives will sit in on the meetings and help inform the school board of changes that have been requested and events that are occurring.
With the Senate’s diverse array of students, they have managed to secure many different opinions across the board to support all students here at MIHS, and they are constantly working to find opinions of students that may not be represented in the groups active in the Senate.
Currently, the Senate is working on its yearly blood drive, where they partner with the Red Cross club to give back to the community.
