Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Speaking of student voice, let's hear what our middle school peers think about student council and what they're hoping it can bring to our school community.
[00:00:08] Speaker B: School. Community.
[00:00:09] Speaker C: School community.
[00:00:10] Speaker D: If you really knew me. If you really knew me.
[00:00:13] Speaker E: If you really knew me.
[00:00:15] Speaker B: If you really knew me, you would know. Hey, who are you?
[00:00:19] Speaker D: Who, me? Yeah, you.
[00:00:21] Speaker F: It's Monday.
[00:00:27] Speaker G: Hello and welcome to if youf Knew Me Mondays, a student powered Park Day inspired podcast that builds belonging by sharing stories and perspectives from the margins of our school and community.
[00:00:38] Speaker D: Say what?
[00:00:39] Speaker G: My name is Leora. I'm in sixth grade, and if you really knew me, you'd know that I made my first podcast in third grade.
[00:00:46] Speaker D: Hi, I'm Soell. I'm in fifth grade and if you really knew me, you would know that this is my third year in podcast club.
[00:00:53] Speaker A: Hi, I'm Journey. I'm in sixth grade and if you really knew me, you'd know that I'm new to Park Day this year and so far I love it.
[00:01:00] Speaker F: And I'm Bailey. I'm also in sixth grade and if you really knew me, you know that I'm new to Park Day and new to podcasting.
On today's episode, we're covering an exciting new addition to Park Day, the middle school Student Council.
[00:01:15] Speaker A: That's right. For the first time at Park Day, student leadership is taking an official form and we want to tell you all about it.
[00:01:22] Speaker G: Stay tuned to hear from the teachers who are helping make this happen and to hear from you Park Day students about what you hope the student council can accomplish this school year. You'll also get to hear directly from the council members themselves, which will be super helpful. These elections are right around the corner.
[00:01:38] Speaker D: Oh, and don't worry, we'll also explain how the campaign and voting process works so everyone knows how they fit in. Thanks for tuning in. We've got a lot to cover, so let's get started.
[00:01:56] Speaker G: We first heard about student council during the first week of school. There was a lot of buzz because it's new and well, Park Day is full of engaged students who want to make a difference.
[00:02:06] Speaker A: At first, some students were a little bummed because the student council is for seventh and eighth graders only. But as we've learned already, there will be plenty of ways for us fifth and sixth graders to share our ideas and hopes as well.
[00:02:19] Speaker F: Yep, all of us are new to Middle school podcast club and we're excited that we get to represent fifth and sixth grade and do our part in helping spread the word. We took our field recorder and mic around Campus and heard from a lot of people.
[00:02:34] Speaker D: Let's start with the interview with Hal, the faculty advisor for the student council and our middle school head, Jules. Here they are now.
[00:02:45] Speaker H: My name is Hal Juster and I am a history teacher at Park Day School. I teach seventh and eighth grade.
The purpose of student council is actually still a little bit up in the air, mostly because we're creating it as we go this year. Mostly I see student council in my role as the staff advisor as being a way for students to express themselves and take ownership over their experience at Park Day School.
So what are we doing this year?
It's a great question and we don't entirely know yet. Right now we're in the process of having elections, so we're creating what the student council will even look like. What roles do we want, what positions, what titles, responsibilities? And once we have those in place, then we're going to start taking on bigger projects. I know, for example, that students are interested in surveying the rest of the students, the other student body, figuring out what projects are interesting to them, hosting some events, some fundraisers, giving feedback to staff and administrators about what it feels like to be a student at Park Day School.
So it's still really in the process of forming. There's a lot of creative potential here.
[00:03:57] Speaker G: Thanks, Hal. That sounds really exciting and it'll be cool to see where they go from here. Here's Jules.
[00:04:03] Speaker I: Hey y', all, I'm Jules. I am the head of middle school. I was actually surprised when I first got here that we didn't like a full on student council because our mission has a line in there about making the students, you know, part of a democracy. And one of the easiest ways and most classic ways of doing so is to have a student council.
[00:04:23] Speaker F: Yeah, I was shocked too. Okay, so how do you feel about student council?
[00:04:27] Speaker I: I think it's cool. I think it's a really great way for students to be able to express their voice. I always want the students to be able to make their middle school experiences the best as possible.
But it's really difficult to do so when you have like about 170 students. And so I like the student council body to be able to manage that as well as like students.
You all have ideas that work for you that I can never think of and I think that those should be voiced and, and brought to the surface.
[00:04:57] Speaker F: So when you were a kid, did.
[00:04:58] Speaker B: You have student council?
[00:05:01] Speaker I: Yeah, I had student council in middle school as well as in high school and I voted, but I was not part of It. It was.
[00:05:10] Speaker A: Okay, back to Hal. How does student council connect with what you teach?
[00:05:14] Speaker H: I teach American history with a real focus on civics. So where did our government come from? How does it function? What does it do, and how has it changed over time?
And so student council definitely ties into what I teach as a way to put some of those ideas into action. If we're creating our own government or forming our own group of people who are trying to improve our lives, which is what I think government should be, what are the roadblocks along the way, and how do we sort of navigate around them or through them collectively as a. As a group?
[00:05:47] Speaker F: How will part day student council be unique to our school?
[00:05:51] Speaker I: Well, we have a couple of ideas. One, the Park Day student council will have one or two initiatives a year that they will manage, run, get the information from in terms of the student body. So that's cool. I also am going to require them to meet with the fourth grade so they can ask them what they would like to see in middle school as they make their way to fifth. And they also are going to have a standing meeting with me and Angela so they can really share their initiatives throughout the entire school.
[00:06:16] Speaker D: That sounds cool. What's your biggest hope for our first year of student council?
[00:06:22] Speaker I: I'm actually looking really forward to seeing what posters come to be from the students who are running, as well as hearing the different speeches. I'm really looking forward to see what students come up with and what they're able to achieve, but I'm looking forward to the election process.
[00:06:38] Speaker H: I would like to see students feeling empowered to make positive change in their community and navigating with the challenges that come from that of having different visions of what it means to have a good school and sitting in that conflict for a while and coming out somewhere different.
[00:06:56] Speaker F: Thank you so much.
[00:06:58] Speaker H: Thank you, guys. This was awesome.
[00:07:00] Speaker D: Well, that was insightful.
[00:07:01] Speaker G: Yeah, I learned a lot. I appreciate Jules sharing that even though student council wasn't her thing in middle school, she understands the importance of student voice and is making that a priority at Park Day.
[00:07:13] Speaker A: Speaking of student voice, let's hear what our middle school peers think about student council and what they're hoping it can bring to our school community.
[00:07:21] Speaker B: Hi, my name's Evie.
[00:07:23] Speaker G: I'm in eighth grade, and what I.
[00:07:25] Speaker B: Want to see from student council is.
[00:07:27] Speaker G: A revival of Spirit week, because that.
[00:07:29] Speaker B: Was the best thing and they canceled.
[00:07:30] Speaker G: It before our grade. My name is Elle. My grade is sixth grade. And what I want to see from student council, I want a vending Machine that has true fru in it.
[00:07:41] Speaker D: My name is Joey, and I'm in fifth grade, and I want a vending machine.
[00:07:44] Speaker G: Vending machines.
[00:07:45] Speaker D: A vending machine, and I want a vending machine.
[00:07:47] Speaker B: I really want to see, like, vending machines because 8th graders are hungry, and I feel like we should pay with the vending machines with, like, park day money. Like, it shouldn't be real money. We should, like, find a way to earn, like, park day money.
[00:08:00] Speaker F: Okay, the verdict is in. There's a lot of interest in the student council advocating for a vending machine.
[00:08:06] Speaker A: Yeah, not a surprise. I kind of saw that coming.
[00:08:10] Speaker G: Who knows? Maybe that's possible, but I definitely wonder where that would fall on the list of priorities.
[00:08:15] Speaker F: I think if we get a vending.
[00:08:16] Speaker B: Machine, the students will be very surprised.
[00:08:18] Speaker E: By what the staff decides to put in it.
[00:08:20] Speaker D: But wait, students aren't done talking about food.
Hi, my name's Ella, and I'm in fifth grade.
What I want the student council to put in is that everyone can eat the school lunch, and maybe it should be less expensive because some people can't afford it.
[00:08:36] Speaker F: Okay, that's a good one.
[00:08:37] Speaker D: Yeah. Maybe the school lunch shouldn't cost as much.
[00:08:40] Speaker B: Making the lunch different times because us being the very last grade next semester is going to be very rough, and I will not be happy about that.
[00:08:54] Speaker G: I'm also not surprised to hear about lunch. That one seems complicated since I know it can't be easy to just change the price of food when you have to count for the business side of things like paying for food and the salaries of our amazing kitchen staff.
[00:09:07] Speaker A: Aside from material things like vending machines, foosball tables, and food, there is also interest in different aspects of student culture.
[00:09:15] Speaker B: What I want to see from the student council is vending machines and a better dinette. I also want to make the dances better because they really need an increase in, like, the party, you know?
My name is Emmy. I'm in sixth grade, and I want a fun dance with some lots of snacks and lights and activities.
[00:09:35] Speaker D: My name is Sahara, and I'm in sixth grade, and I want a spring dance, like a school dance.
[00:09:40] Speaker B: Something I'd like to see this year is more school dances and dances with other schools. I'm Advaia.
[00:09:46] Speaker D: My grade is fifth grade.
[00:09:48] Speaker B: I heard this when they were talking about it for the fifth grade, the middle school meeting. But I thought it was really cute that the tkers would walk the 8th graders down at graduation.
I want that to happen.
[00:09:59] Speaker D: And for student council, I want to see GSA not Being elective. It's sad. I don't like it. It should be like an affinity group because I want to be able to do clubs and gsa.
[00:10:13] Speaker B: Hi, my name is Khetzali. I'm in fifth grade, and something I.
[00:10:15] Speaker F: Think we should do is, like, we can, like, in one year, we can.
[00:10:18] Speaker B: Like, decorate our shirts, like, pick a decoration for sure.
[00:10:22] Speaker F: And then the one that makes the most votes will be the design for the shirt.
[00:10:26] Speaker D: And what I want for the student council is to listen to the students.
[00:10:31] Speaker F: Okay, thank you.
[00:10:33] Speaker D: Well, as you can hear, there is quite a range of interest. It will be really interesting to see which of these ideas the student council will take on.
[00:10:43] Speaker F: I think it's about time we meet our student council. We stop by Howard's classroom where they meet so we can find out who exactly is in the student council and what they've been up to.
[00:10:54] Speaker A: Can you please say your name, grade, and what made you want to sign up for student council?
[00:10:58] Speaker B: Hi, my name is Opal. I'm in seventh grade, and I guess.
[00:11:02] Speaker D: I wanted to sign up for student.
[00:11:03] Speaker B: Council because I really wanted to work.
[00:11:05] Speaker A: With a team to try to change.
[00:11:07] Speaker B: How our school is going to be.
[00:11:08] Speaker A: In the future and in the present.
[00:11:10] Speaker B: And I thought it sounded really fun.
[00:11:12] Speaker D: Hi, my name is Coco. I'm in seventh grade, and I joined.
[00:11:15] Speaker B: The student council because I have a love for leadership and making a change. Hi, my name is Darwin. I'm in eighth grade, and I joined student council because there were some things that I just thought we needed to improve on, and I thought it'd be good to, like, step up and, like, help that.
Hi, my name is Amelia. I'm in eighth grade, and I came to student council because I wanted my voice heard as a student. And since it's my last year, I wanted to make it the best one. Hi, my name's Sienna. I'm in eighth grade. And a reason I joined student council is to really just get my input and, like, all grades inputs on how to make the school a better place.
[00:11:53] Speaker C: My name is Ben Sagafi. I'm in eighth grade. I think more than anything, I joined because I saw an opportunity. I saw an opportunity for the middle school to take back a little bit of control because it does sometimes feel like a lot of people are making decisions for us. And I do think that the middle school needs to have its voice heard, and student council is a great way to do that.
[00:12:14] Speaker B: Hi, my name is June Kamin. I'm in eighth grade.
And the reason that I joined student council is because I think we're in a unique position as students. We have a unique perspective that teachers and administrators don't have and student council seems like the best way to take initiative and change the things that we see. Hi, my name is Sarah Brown, I'm in eighth grade and I joined student council because it seemed like a good opportunity to help make changes and get student input on how middle school runs.
My name is Jack Capardi. I'm in eighth grade and I joined student council to be able to talk with friends and change stuff about the school that haven't been changed before.
[00:12:52] Speaker E: Hi, my name is Marco, I'm in.
[00:12:54] Speaker C: Eighth grade and I joined student council.
[00:12:56] Speaker B: Because I wanted a source of empowerment. Hi, my name is Max. I'm in eighth grade and I joined.
[00:13:02] Speaker H: Because I wanted to be able to.
[00:13:03] Speaker C: Give student input on the situation of Park Day.
[00:13:08] Speaker B: Hi, my name's Minna, I'm in eighth grade and I joined student council. Just get experience for like the future and to make Park Day a better place.
Hi, my name is Kyra. I'm in eighth grade and I joined student council because I'm really interested in creating like more beneficial ways to help out the school.
Hi, my name is Hazel and I'm in eighth grade and I joined student council because it seemed really fun and interesting and I wanted to help make changes Park Day.
[00:13:35] Speaker D: Hi, my name is Jumi.
[00:13:36] Speaker B: I'm in seventh grade and I joined student council because I thought it was a good chance to show some leadership and to help make the school a better place.
[00:13:43] Speaker D: Hi, my name is Lou and the.
[00:13:45] Speaker B: Reason I joined student council is because I saw the opportunity to help this school grow and listen to other middle school schoolers ideas of how they want to improve the school.
[00:13:57] Speaker E: Hello, my name is Guang Hao and I would like to make everyone's voice heard throughout this school no matter what.
[00:14:05] Speaker G: Alright, there you have it. The first round of student council members in Park Day School history.
These students all chose to join the student council for their Wednesday elective and in the coming days they're going to campaign for student votes for an official position.
But before that, let's hear what they have been up to in their first few weeks.
[00:14:30] Speaker B: We've been having really interesting and meaningful discussions about how we think government should run and how this government should run and what government means to us.
[00:14:41] Speaker D: So far we have been deciding what.
[00:14:43] Speaker B: Roles we would like to be able to do and run for and now.
[00:14:48] Speaker A: I've started to actually campaign for them.
[00:14:50] Speaker F: Sounds like they're being busy getting organized. They're a pretty big group, so I wonder how they're going to decide their roles and responsibilities.
[00:15:00] Speaker A: Here's Hal again.
[00:15:02] Speaker H: So there are going to be a ton of roles that people can vote on. We're going to have two executive positions, so that will be kind of like a president or a chair and they'll share that responsibility.
And then they're going to have a cabinet which similar to how the executive branch functions in the United States, there will be people who are in charge of different aspects of student government responsibilities. So we can think about that. As you know, someone's going to keep records of what we do, someone's going to be our treasurer, someone's going to be a publicity, a public facing group which I think would have a lot of cool opportunities for overlap with podcasting and then also student affairs, someone who will advocate for students. So all of those positions will also be voted upon by the general student body.
[00:15:46] Speaker D: Thanks for the breakdown. It really does sound pretty formal.
[00:15:49] Speaker F: Yeah, I didn't realize how many unique roles there would be.
[00:15:53] Speaker G: Alright, we still need to learn about how they're going to decide who does which role and that's where the rest of middle school gets involved.
[00:16:02] Speaker H: Tomorrow during consultancy, we're going to have an opportunity for the candidates to present their campaigns. They can talk about themselves, the roles, what they think they're qualified for, and why they think you should vote for them. After that, in your consultancy groups, you'll have the opportunity to vote via a Google form. And when you're looking through that, you'll see descriptions of what the roles are as well as the candidates who have decided to run for them and anything else they might want you to know.
I would encourage you, when you're looking at that, to take it seriously. You're more than welcome to talk to other people about it. It doesn't have to be a secret ballot, but really think about who seems like they are taking the role seriously and would do a good job and maybe not who had the funniest poster or the most persuasive ground game. Really think about who's right for the job.
[00:16:55] Speaker D: Okay, now that we know about the voting process, let's hear more from each candidate. They've been thinking deeply about their leadership qualities and where they align with each of the positions.
[00:17:09] Speaker G: What position on student council would you like to take on and why?
[00:17:13] Speaker C: I'm Ben Sagafi. I'm in eighth grade and I'm running for co chair with my campaign partner, June Kamen. I think we are right for the job because I think we're both very productive people, we're both very organized people, and we're both people that are capable of leading a committee that makes change and that listens to the people that we are changing things for.
It has for a long time been that the administrators, the teachers, and all of these people that seem like higher powers to us at times are making all of the decisions that affect very deeply our own lives. And though they are responsible and they do have the right to make these decisions, as they are, of course, the administrators, they are chosen to run the school. I think it is time to put some power in the hands of the people that are actually being affected. And those people are specifically the middle schoolers.
[00:18:06] Speaker B: It's really important to me that our voices as students are heard and we are the people that will listen to your voices and actually make impact with them. We will take your ideas and we will actually follow through on them. Hi, I'm Coco Banks and I'm in seventh grade. I am running for head chair of Student affairs and I am running for that role because I think I have the qualities being empathy. I have leadership, so I can take a strong lead role and really dedicate.
[00:18:38] Speaker A: And devote myself to the school.
[00:18:39] Speaker B: And I'm an extrovert, so I like talking to people and getting to hear what they have to say.
[00:18:44] Speaker D: What else do you want the rest of your middle school peers to know before the vote?
I think I want the rest of.
[00:18:53] Speaker B: My middle school peers to know that I really just care about what they want and I'm willing to do anything to make them feel comfortable.
Hello, my name is Darwin. I'm in eighth grade and I'm running for the student affairs. I'm writing for the student affairs manager because I felt that people in authority were making all of the big decisions on the school's behalf without asking the students first. And it caused people to get upset about it and I want people to have a voice.
[00:19:23] Speaker G: And what does Student affairs do?
[00:19:28] Speaker B: They would go out and cast votes for making big decisions so that we know overall what the school wants.
[00:19:37] Speaker E: Hello there. My name is Guang Hao and my grade is in seventh. I would like to take on the president or co chairs because I think that I could maintain this position because I have free time and I get work done quickly and constantly.
I'm not planning on making my own decisions, but actually seeing what other people think and what they want instead of me controlling all of that.
I want my middle school peers to know that the student council is actually pretty important and you should probably Vote and listen to what they're saying and actually, like, participate because this is a very important thing for the school.
[00:20:25] Speaker B: Hey, it's Amelia. Hi, it's Sienna. We're running for Head of Events together.
And the reason we think we'd be good for it is because we've experienced all three years of middle school. So we can speak from the I perspective of how students feel and what they might want or what they're looking for. And it's also our last year, so we really want to make it the best one and leave a lasting impact for current and future students.
We, like, really appreciate and take into consideration what, like, the students of middle school want for, like, the future of Park Day. And we would just really like to execute those and, like, put, like, what they want into action.
So some ideas we have is that we plan to have a spirit week. More movie nights and school dances, even some with other schools. Additionally, we'd also like to have TK walk the 8th graders across the graduation stage. Something that we think could be an unforgettable experience.
We're very open minded and would really, like, love to hear ideas from the students and seriously take them into consideration because we're here to represent all of you and we can't do that without your help. Thank you. And we hope we inspired you to see, like, the new future with us as your event planners. Vote now for Sienna and Amelia and feel free to email us with any questions, comments, or concerns you have.
[00:21:46] Speaker G: Wow. Like we mentioned earlier, Perk Day is full of thoughtful and engaged students.
[00:21:51] Speaker C: Students.
[00:21:51] Speaker G: They all sound like they'd do a great job listening to student ideas and working together to bring them to life.
[00:21:58] Speaker F: Yeah, this might be a tough decision for some folks. I feel like it will be for me.
[00:22:03] Speaker A: Here's a tip to help you cast your vote.
[00:22:05] Speaker H: I encourage you to take this seriously and have fun with it. As long as you're voting and supporting a campaign in a way that feels good to you and doesn't have any negativity to it, your vote is your vote and we'll see who comes out on top.
[00:22:19] Speaker G: Well, that's it for this episode of if youf Knew Me Mondays. We might be ending, but student council is just getting started. We hope today's episode gave you a better understanding of the who, what, when, where, why, and how of this new part of our middle school community.
[00:22:36] Speaker D: When you see any of your soon to be elected council members around campus, let them know what ideas you have.
[00:22:43] Speaker A: Thank you, Hal and Jules, for joining us and giving us the inside scoop on why this new student initiative matters.
[00:22:50] Speaker F: And of course, thank you to our student council members and everyone who shared their thoughts in this episode. We'll be following the student council all year long, so stay tuned for updates on their projects and events.
[00:23:05] Speaker D: And for our fellow fifth and sixth graders, if you want to run for student council next year, now you know exactly how to do it. Start thinking about your campaign speech now.
[00:23:16] Speaker A: Last but not least, if you like this episode, share it with your friends and family, and maybe even leave us a positive review.
[00:23:23] Speaker G: Once again, this is Leora, Joelle, Journey, and Bailey, and we'll catch you next time on if youf Knew Me Mondays.
