The Student News Site of Shawnee Mission Northwest

SMNW

The Student News Site of Shawnee Mission Northwest

SMNW

The Student News Site of Shawnee Mission Northwest

SMNW

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Making a Dent

Photo+by+Lauren+Edwards
Photo by Lauren Edwards

We are taught from an early age to get involved in sports, clubs and other activities. Whatever you do, get involved. That is how it started for StuCo sponsor Sarah Dent.

“At first it was like ‘Hey, this looks like a great group of kids, I’d love to help sponsor a club,’” Dent said. “At the time I wasn’t coaching, I wasn’t sponsoring, I was brand new and I just thought ‘I need to get involved.’”

Dent was not always the outgoing person she is today. She said she came out of her shell during college.

“I wasn’t involved in StuCo in my high school,” Dent said. “I was really shy. I only played softball … in high school, so was something different.”

She has been sponsoring StuCo for 10 years. She keeps coming back for the relationships she builds with students.

“When are elected,” Dent said. “You never know what you are going to get. People say ‘StuCo is based on popularity,’ but regardless of how people get elected to the positions that they get elected to, my job is to take them and make them into leaders.”

Every day during fifth hour Student Council members participate in team building activities, discuss what it means to be a leader, plan and organize events around the school.

StuCo hosts approximately 50 events a year that have to be updated and revised constantly.

“We are trying to do some shifting around of events that we do,” Dent said. “  make sure that we are not super overwhelmed at one point or another. There has to be a balance of what we do and when we do it.”

The executive board is composed of three boys and three girls, a balance that Dent is happy to have.

“It’s been several years since we have had a female president,” Dent said. “We hear a lot in the world today about girls being looked over for leadership positions. It’s exciting to get to see Hallie step up to the plate.”

Junior and Seniors in StuCo are committee chairs for all the events throughout the year. They will teach “baby” freshmen and sophomores, according to Dent, who will eventually take over.

“Suddenly, the senior is gone and you’ve got this baby-faced person who has never run an event,” Dent said. “It’s neat to get to see students take something and make it their own. They have this pride like ‘Hey this is my event and I want to work the hardest I can to make this event successful, and build on what the previous person did.’ And that is kind of what it’s all about, leaders training other leaders.”

Dent said her goals for StuCo are always to improve, to look at new ways to host events. Also they need to constantly update their book full of how-to’s. If the person who is leading an event is ever gone, that is the backup.

“We are just really hoping that we can continue to improve our reputation in the school as true leaders,” Dent said. “Not only in StuCo but in their classes. We are always trying to challenge students, you need to talk the talk of being a StuCo rep, but you also have to walk the walk.”

It’s good to start each year with a plan. Dent has set personal goals of her own, not only as a World Regional Studies teacher but as a mom.

“With three kids now at home,” Dent said. “One of my personal goals, is just being able to juggle my responsibilities as a student council sponsor, as a teacher, as a mom. It is a juggling act.”

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Making a Dent