Recently, I walked into a meeting of the LS Student Senate, the school’s representative student body. The atmosphere was welcoming, music was playing, and members were making posters. I then spoke with three of the Senate’s members who have been a part of it for much of their time at LS: Alexia Hultin (‘26, President), Anya Sharma (‘26, Secretary), and Bella Reith (‘26, Vice President).

They explained what a typical Senate meeting looks like; the President and Vice President open the meeting, while the Secretary takes attendance. A recently-added leadership position is the Communications and Social Media Manager, who pushes the Student Senate to LS students through posters and online (@lsrhssenate on Instagram). The three also shared favorite memories from their time on the Student Senate, including an annual holiday fundraiser and spirit week. They mentioned being able to communicate with Superintendent Dr. Stevens about policies and his work; similarly, representatives from the Student Senate have been able to attend school committee and school council meetings.

This ability to hear from and work with community leaders is also a reason that they think that the Senate benefits students. They cited the example of how, while others made the final decision, Student Senate members had influence on the current LS cellphone policy. 

They emphasized the diverse perspectives and drive of Student Senate members; according to Reith, “every single person has multiple activities” in addition to the Senate, unlike other clubs, which might be more hobby-specific. Furthermore, all three emphasized that the Senate’s members have a strong bond and a shared dedication to bringing positive change to LS. 

Similarly, the Senate may help students build necessary skills that are important even in the wider world outside of LS. These include public speaking skills and the foundations of leadership that allow students to “make change in a broader scope in the future,” says Reith. As she explains it to resounding agreement from her peers, it is “cool to get civically involved and engaged.” The Senate sets students up to do just this, starting at a smaller scale.

Because all grades are represented in the Student Senate, the fact that students may be able to “grow in leadership” by gaining new leadership positions across their time in high school is also a benefit, says Hultin. 

Finally, while she clarified that it is not the sole reason to join the Senate, Sharma said that membership might even look good on college applications: “people really like to see that you’re taking initiative” in your school community.

Besides being excited to welcome a new class to the Student Senate, the organization has many hopes and goals to look forward to in the coming year.

So, how can freshmen get involved with the Student Senate? For one, they can run for the office. This involves writing a short candidacy statement about who they are, why they want to be a part of the Senate, and why they think that they would be a good fit for it. These statements can be submitted through a Google Form posted by the Steering Committee and are due by Monday, September 29th at 8:30 am. Shortly afterwards, elections will take place, and everyone in the grade will be able to vote for who they believe will best represent them. Similar elections will take place for other grades this coming spring.

Alternatively, all LS students are welcome to attend any of the Student Senate’s meetings without being elected. Though they are not able to vote, they can share input on the Senate’s topics of discussion and also represent another club’s ideas in the process. These meetings take place every ACA block on Blue Wednesdays in room A405.

Either way, LS’s Student Senate is a great way for students to participate in their school community and grow as leaders.