As graduation approaches, so does another general election for Student Council. I recently realized that I did not know much about what Student Council officers do, so I interviewed each of them to find out more about their position. This is my second interview, with Serena Lin, the current Vice President:

The Harriton Banner: What is the biggest part of your role in Student Council?

Serena Lin: I love being in a team, so the biggest part for me is being a helping hand to the other officers and working together to achieve a shared goal. Almost every event at Harriton hosted by StuCo is the work of multiple officers and a committee. Something interesting that I learned through my role is that everyone shares every role; there will be times where you’ll need to take the lead in a meeting, organize outreach, handle communication and manage finances. Keep your mind open and be flexible with your own role.

THB: What characteristics do you think are important for this role?

SL: Being your own biggest advocate. There will be times when, regardless of how nice you are, how reasonable things seem, or how determined you are, things simply won’t work out. We’re aware that students leave during pep rallies, but regardless of whether there’s 10 or 100 people in the crowd, we’re still committed to giving 100% effort in planning and organizing them. So show out and hype up your own events, tell everyone about your plans, and have fun in the process.  

THB: What is your favorite part of being in Student Council?

SL: I got to meet a bunch of new people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. An example is doing the morning announcements–––even though you only see them once a week, you quickly become familiar with the front office staff, and soon, they’re helping you come up with jokes to say in the morning.

THB: What do you think were your biggest achievements in Student Council this year?

SL: One of my biggest achievements is definitely co-hosting Dr. Harriton with Audrey and being able to help fundraise for the charities. It was a really unique experience and the hard work of all the contestants and production team certainly paid off. Organizing pep rallies and other events for school spirit throughout the year was also a big highlight for me.

THB: What do you think next year’s Student Council leaders should prioritize?

SL: Make sure to maintain  good communication with not only the student body, but also administration, club sponsors, and your fellow officers.