Written By: Makayla Wolins

As the school year gets into full swing, student government (StuGo) is hard at work making improvements to daily life at RCDS. From adding a froyo topping station to installing a drink vending machine in the athletics center, student government members across all grades are full of determination and fresh ideas.

Senior class president, Selena Zhang ’26, is dedicated to improving student life at RCDS. One of her main goals this year is listening to students’ needs and communicating their concerns to teachers and deans. To make it easier for students to share feedback, she and the 12th grade StuGo hope to install a physical mailbox where anyone can voice their concerns. As a senior herself, Selena knows that college application season can be stressful. Whether by hosting events or bringing back the Winter Wheel from last year, she wants to make the process a little easier. She’s also collaborating with Ms. Heath to prevent AP exams and class tests from overlapping, allowing a longer grace period and clearer window for rescheduling. Selena wishes the best of luck to freshmen as they begin a new chapter of their lives. She said, “There are people looking out for you. If you need anything, talk to a representative or dean to be the change you want to see in the world.”

Junior class president Caroline Stronski ’27 has many goals for the upcoming year. As in the past, the 11th and 12th grade student governments are collaborating on the Junior–Senior Challenge. She and 11th Grade StuGo are also designing new junior sweatshirts and hope to add more seating to the junior lounge, which often gets crowded. In addition, they’re working to set up a clearing station outside the cafeteria. Since the cafeteria fills up during Z blocks, the goal is to make cleanup easier and prevent students from leaving dishes behind. Stronski also hopes to create more grade-wide activities to bring the class together. She wants to make class meetings more engaging and strengthen the junior class bond.

Sophomore class president Chris Estill ’28 is full of ideas on how to improve life at RCDS. The 10th grade StuGo hopes to add cushions to the alcoves on the 2nd and 3rd floors to make seating more comfortable. They are also planning a grade-wide winter movie to celebrate the holidays and, if possible, would like sophomores to vote on an end-of-year field trip. Estill also wants to expand the list of approved foods available to students. The sophomore government plans to actively listen to student feedback and use those ideas to guide future projects. This will give the StuGo more to build on and inspire more ideas for improving the school. As Estill put it, “Please be open to us and come with any problems you may have. The student government is here to help you, and if you need anything, just come to us. It makes our job easier, and we can better help you in return.”