BASIS Independent Manhattan Upper School has elected a new student council president and vice president for the 2023-2024 school year: Hudson (Gr. 11) and Stella L. (Gr. 8). This brother-sister duo are passionate about making the Upper School a better place for all students.

During their lunch break, we had an opportunity to sit down and ask them a few questions. This interview provides a chance for the student body to get acquainted with their new leaders and learn about their plans for the upcoming year.

Hudson and Stella L. mentioned that their primary goal is to improve the student experience. They have three areas of focus right now:
Improve the creature comforts in our campus building.

1. Optimize lunchtime for enjoyment.
2. Create a textbook swap or ways to reuse them among students.
3. They also plan to continue growing the BASIS Green Committee, which focuses on eco-conscious decisions at school.

How To Achieve These Goals?

The duo intends to ensure that students follow the school rules, respect school resources, and do not take them for granted. They will work closely with the administrators to address any concerns raised by the students. They have already initiated a partnership with one of the facilities team members to make progress in this regard.

Now with a full school, they would like to implement simple adjustments to streamline lunch. These include rearranging tables and seating, making lines more efficient, and increasing the number of trash and recycling bins. The objective is to spend less time cleaning up and more time enjoying meals with friends.

With textbooks, Hudson and Stella are aware of how expensive they can be and plan to create a system that spans grades – such as a book swap – so that textbooks can be passed on from year to year and reused. They will also work with the Wildcat Family Committee to create a full-scale effort that involves both students and parents.

Representing All Student Voices

At an Upper School with students in grades 6-12, Hudson and Stella L. explained that they are both high school and middle school students themselves, and they know their classmates and peers. They also have a representative from each element as part of the Student Council, who will talk to their class and bring their feedback to the meetings.

Lastly, they talked about not being just leaders but representatives of everyone. They would like to encourage all students to share their ideas, comments, and concerns with them.