Student Leadership at 天美视频 is facilitated by four individuals鈥攖hree students and one spouse or partner of a student鈥攚ho lead the four distinct realms of Student Leadership: Anamchara, Sacred Space, Student Council, and Mosaic. Elise Hale-Case is the facilitator of the 2015-2016 Student Council, which also includes Molly Belliveau, Bethany Cole, Lynn Diepenbroek, Jesse Smith, and Albert Wang. Elise graduated with her last year, and she is working to complete her this year. This is her second year as Student Council Facilitator.
Big picture first: What鈥檚 the role of Student Council?
Student Council works to be the bridge between the faculty, staff, and students. It considers ways to build the community in the school and support the culture through the lens of academics.
This is your second year as Facilitator. What brought you back?
It鈥檚 helped me in my sense of belonging here to connect with students, staff, and faculty. That鈥檚 not something I always feel comfortable doing, so I like that the role asks me to do that. It helps me feel more engaged and invested and excited about this community, and to feel a part of this community.
What are you most proud of from your time with Student Council so far?
Two things: We had fairly regular film and conversation nights last year. To have the conversations that we were having鈥攁bout gender, race, sexual orientation, class, shame, sexualtiy鈥攖o have those conversations in a pretty honest and raw way without any curricular need or any other agenda, with fewer limitations, was pretty special. There鈥檚 a strong desire to continue making space for that kind of conversation.
The second thing is that, if nothing else, Student Leadership is a group of people committed to meeting with each other, eating together, and being in community every week. I feel proud of that, just knowing that I was a part of that, and I think that has a greater impact on this community than any of us realize.
Any plans for this coming year you can tell us about?
We鈥檙e hoping to get a trivia night going, a monthly Friday evening trivia night hosted by different people in the community鈥攆aculty, staff, students. The intention is both play and learning. My hope is that whoever leads it each night will get to totally choose the trivia and make it about things they鈥檙e interested in. So we learn facts, and we learn about the people designing the trivia. The hope, too, would be for more cross-cohort mingling.
Why do you think that鈥攊nteractions across cohorts鈥攊s so important?
Maybe some of it is selfish. I鈥檓 in my last years here, and there aren鈥檛 as many people in my own cohort, so I want to get to know other folks. I think there鈥檚 a lot of learning that can be done across cohorts. The learning curve at this school is so steep that I would鈥檝e really benefitted in my first years from connecting with and being supported by other students who were further along in the process. I think this school makes space for really intense, deep connections, and I want to make a space where connections can happen in a lighter, more playful way.
Speaking of learning from those who鈥檝e gone before, anything you鈥檇 like to say to the new cohort?
I鈥檓 glad you鈥檙e here. And I鈥檓 preemptively grateful for whatever work you put into your time here.
How has 天美视频 changed since you鈥檝e been here?
I came into this school feeling pretty nervous, pretty insecure, because I鈥檓 gay, and I wasn鈥檛 sure how that would be here. I鈥檝e seen a lot of change in the awareness of language and microaggressions that might harm people on the fringes. Not that we鈥檙e perfect by any means, but I have seen a significant shift that I鈥檓 really grateful for.
And what about you鈥攈ow have you changed in your time here?
I鈥檝e changed in feeling more secure. I have moments of losing touch with that, but I鈥檓 starting to believe that I have something to offer, and I鈥檓 learning to articulate what that is.
When you鈥檙e not at school or work, what do you do for fun?
I don鈥檛 get outside as much as I鈥檇 like to, but I think being outside, like in the woods, is pretty grounding for me. I like to do that, I like to play lots of games and sports. I鈥檓 on sort of a marathon kick right now, but I don鈥檛 know if that鈥檚 always for fun. Oh and I go to therapy鈥攖hat鈥檚 fun.