Conference urges students to take initiative to improve their schools

Cheers and school spirit filled the Dodge City High School auditorium Wednesday as nearly 500 southwest Kansas students participated in the annual Kansas High School Activities Association Regional Student Council Conference.  
    Throughout the morning, student council members from 32 area schools worked on plans to improve their school by year's end.
    Rob Miller, a motivational speaker for Sportsmanship Summits, challenged student council representatives and officers to be active leaders in their school.
    "It's your school, and you need to take ownership of it," he said. "What does your school stand for? You have to provide a vision for your school."
    Miller stressed the importance of specific action by student councils to improve student life through integrity and activities. He told students they had to have a plan to challenge the status quo.
    "What's the one word that best describes your school? What do you want that word to be?" he asked. "If you don't have passion and enthusiasm for your school, no one else will."
    To achieve their leadership goals and improve their weaknesses, Miller said the students should surround themselves with strong individuals.
    "First-class leaders surround themselves with first-class people," he said.
    Miller said student council leaders had to be the first to serve, praise others and protect their school.
    Miller encouraged students to get involved in all activities, not just athletic competitions. He said student council is the voice of the student body and should be able to speak for all groups on campus.
    "You represent everybody, so value everybody," he said.
    In order to make a plan to change their school and provide the student body with a better overall experience, each school made a poster to put its goal in writing.
    By the end of the day, each council had agreed on a specific vision for its campus.
    The Southwestern Heights council chose to be more alive by the end of the school year. The Liberal Redskins decided they needed to be more unified, and Jetmore and Fowler High School councils wanted to be more enthusiastic. Great Bend decided to strive to be more well-rounded, and Dodge City Middle School said that its students needed to be more respectful.
    The DCHS poster displayed the mission of their student council members, saying, "Cliques need to mix."
    Andy Denton, a senior at DCHS and member of the choir, said student council would continue to meet biweekly to plan more events to meet this goal. 
    Senior Tammy Sanchez said she wanted the school to be united and mixed instead of divided into groups.
    Miller told the kids it wasn't enough to have a plan; they had to act on it.
    "Now you have a word on your poster," he said. "It means absolutely nothing unless you put it into action."

Reach Cherise Forno at (620) 408-9931 or e-mail her at cherise.forno@dodgeglobe.com.