During the pandemic, many forums where students can talk have been taken away and the Senate has tried to fill that void. The conversations held in the Senate have become the basis for reforms to the way online education is conducted, specifically examinations and the PE curriculum. 

The Senate runs every Wednesday during lunch. During that half-hour, there is a discussion about a specific topic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Senate heads feel they have had an improved relationship with the administration.

“The relationship has been more balanced than I think it has been with past Senate groups. I don’t mean that as an insult to past Senate groups or the administration. It’s because no one, teachers and students alike, has done this before,” junior Jackson Antonow, one of four Senate heads, said. 

“This group really wanted to be solution based. We identify an issue, now what are we gonna do about it? And a lot of the conversation, almost every week, is about how to address specific issues,” Head of Upper School Justin Brandon said. 

“COVID has really obliterated communication, there’s no more hallway forums, Mr. Brandon can check in and get students’ perspective, so Senate has become the closest thing to that, and I appreciate how Senate has created a place for conversation about things outside of just student government,” senior and student body president Carter Wagner said.

One adjustment the Senate has made has been sending out Google forms after the Senate to get a broader sense of student opinion on that issue. 

“We have started sending out Google forms this year which are just straight numbers and because we’ve had a lot of people respond to some, we have tangible numbers and proof that we can bring to our meetings, which the administration has been responsive to,” junior Alex Carlin, another Senate head, said.

Every Friday afternoon, the Senate heads meet with Brandon to discuss what was discussed among the students in the Senate meeting. These meetings have existed for years but have gained importance in the past year.

“It’s been helpful to have them give me the student perspective during the Friday meetings because I don’t have as many opportunities to talk to students as I did in the building,” Brandon said.

The Senate heads also believe that the Friday meetings have gone a long way in furthering the agenda. 

“We’ve done a good job using our Friday meeting to present what’s on the mind of the student body to Mr. Brandon, and because we’re online, he’s not speaking to many students which means that we are the best way for him to hear students’ voices,” junior Eli Moog, another Senate head, said. 

Because people have seen the impact of the Senate, more people have started to come which in turn has increased its impact and legitimacy.

 “It’s been truly incredible the number of people we get in Senate, it’s in the 30s or 40s which is higher than I think it’s been in past years, and I think this is because people see that if they come to Senate, their voices can be heard and that we’re getting things done,” Carlin said.

One of the most visible changes was reforms to the operation of the gym program. 

“The most visible work we’ve done is PE and looking at how we can make the PE class experience more enjoyable for students,” Brandon said.

One way the Senate has tried to work with the administration is through debating topics that the administration and teachers want talked about. 

“One of the things the Senate heads have been doing is asking Mr. Brandon what topics he wants discussed, which allows Mr. Brandon and teachers to have questions and answers they may not have otherwise,” Wagner said. 

The Senate has distinguished itself as a place where students can voice their grievances and provide solutions to problems in the school. Despite a change in administration, the Senate heads remain hopeful this will continue. 

“I think students have really seen how useful Senate can be and how much we work with the administration. Going forward I think that future Senate heads will recognize this and follow our lead to keep Senate as relevant as it is,” Antonow said.