Shenendehowa’s Student Senate is undergoing an expansion in its membership this year and welcoming new ideas.
Senate Secretary Arvin Shams, a senior, said this is the Senate’s “biggest transformation in years.”
Recently, the Senate lifted its cap of 10 senators per grade, allowing any student who applies to join. Now, more than 100 students serve in the governing body.
“Because Shen is such a large school, limiting each grade to 10 or 20 senators didn’t reflect the diversity of voices we have. Now we have 25 or 30 students from each grade, and that means more ideas and more perspectives,” said Shams.
This expansion comes at a time when student government is playing an involved role in the school. From organizing the homecoming dance, which sold over 820 tickets, nearly 200 more than last year, to planning the Spirit Rally and upcoming Snowball Dance, student leaders are managing multiple events during this time of year.
Senate President Rosie Zhan, a senior, said the larger membership has created some logistical challenges but also opened new doors.
“It’s hard to manage so many people, but more hands means more work gets done,” Zhan said. “We’re seeing more enthusiasm and more creativity in how we promote events and connect with students.”
To keep the growing team organized, Senate leaders have implemented weekly announcements, classroom updates, and a clear division of responsibilities. Business meetings focus on budgeting and policy, while other meetings are for promotional efforts like posters and social media campaigns.
Student leaders say the expansion is part of an effort to make government more transparent and accessible.
“We send out emails before every event with all the details,” said Jupvir Virk, a junior and co-committee head for the Spirit Rally. “We want students to know what’s happening and how they can get involved.”
Some senators are also working on more engagement internally. Grant He, a junior, said the Senate is considering a “senator of the week” program to recognize contributions and encourage participation.
“Networking and communication can be stressful, but we’re trying to make it easier and more rewarding,” He said.
Outside of the Senate, students have a mix of views on how well they are represented.
“I feel like your voice is only really heard if you’re actually participating,” said Michael Shi, a senior. “It would be really good if they, like, had ways for regular kids who aren’t in Senate to participate and like, be involved without having to actively go to meetings.”
Other students, like Ryan Richard, a junior, see the Senate as being a valuable space to spark ideas and inspire change at Shen.
“I’d say Senate is actually a pretty good way for kids to make change,” Richards said. “You realize you can actually talk to administrators about things through them. So yeah, I would say Senate is a good way to have your voice feel like it’s heard.”
As the year continues, student leaders say they’re focused on maintaining the momentum.
“We’re just hoping for a good year. It’s my senior year, and I want to end it off well, doing things that make the school better.” said Shams.
