Whether you’re an avid contrarian who enjoys questioning Stud Gov’s policies at every turn, or someone who hardly thinks about them save for the semi-mandatory annual elections, the extent of the role which Stud Gov plays in students’ lives is rarely known. In an attempt to clear up some of the obscurity surrounding the student body’s communicative link to Lakeside’s administration, we met with representative William F. ’24.

In the past, Stud Gov has implemented a variety of projects from large-scale initiatives (such as putting Harkness tables in history classrooms) to small events designed to raise student morale (such as the frequent Stressbusters held in Red Square). Stud Gov also works on a variety of larger projects throughout the year, including Clubs Fair, Bite of Lakeside, Boo Grams, collaboration with the SALT groups, and the perennial Lakeside favorite, May Day. According to William, however, this year Stud Gov is planning on rolling out a couple of entirely new initiatives. 

First and foremost, Lakeside is holding its very first homecoming dance, set to take place on October 1 in the WCC from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.! It is being planned by a committee directed by Stud Gov, though it will be staffed by students of all grades. Homecoming will cost $15 for admittance, and financial aid will not be applicable. Student Government representatives say that they asked the school to apply financial aid to the dance, but their attempts were not successful. Student Government intends to continue to lobby the school to provide financial aid to its events (Homecoming, movie nights, etc.) more often.

Secondly, Student Government is planning to host a movie night sometime in the fall, where a movie will be shown on the field or the Quad with a 300-square-foot inflatable screen on a Friday evening. Attendance would be free, and Student Government is hoping that snacks will be available for purchase. These movie nights might also be the perfect time for clubs to fundraise due to the number of students who would attend such an event. 

Additionally, a new system is being developed for club funding, centered around the premise that clubs should be able to fundraise more easily. While details are still being worked out, Student Government wants to provide a streamlined framework to replace the ambiguous process that has often surrounded club fundraising. Clubs last year generally had to contact Student Government directly, making it more difficult to reserve spaces and times for fundraisers. In fact, there were fewer than ten fundraisers last year, a number that Student Government is hoping to increase, particularly for clubs that generally require more money than Student Government can provide (like Model UN or Robotics). 

In addition, in order to address the issue of transparency, Stud Gov plans on enacting some changes in terms of their communication with the rest of the student body. This could likely include, among other things, a newsletter released bimonthly containing contributions from a variety of representatives. Furthermore, there are plans in place for Stud Gov to potentially use Tatler articles as an additional avenue of communication to announce events. Additional information about Stud Gov’s mission, goals, and projects are available on their website (https://www.lsstudgov.com/) and Instagram (@lsstudgov).

Last but not least, Stud Gov is open to suggestions. The Idea Form, a Google form to which any student may submit their recommendations, can be found in the Bull, and the suggestion boxes in Bliss Hall are always open.