By Davis ’24
Harvard-Westlake seeks to help students grow as both students and people, and gain skills that allow them to become leaders and create change both on campus and beyond once they graduate. One of the biggest opportunities to be a leader and create change at Harvard-Westlake is serving on Student Government. Harvard-Westlake is home to two campuses, the Middle School and the Upper School, and as such, Harvard-Westlake is home to two Student Governments: Student Council and Prefect Council.
Student Council is the Student Government at the Middle School campus. Student Council is made up of 12 Senators – four from each grade. 8th and 9th grade Senators are elected the spring before, and 7th grade Senators are elected a few months into 7th grade once the class has gotten to know one another. Student Council is responsible for representing Middle School students and advocating for them through writing proposals about various new ideas and policies and meeting with the administration. Student Council also plans various events and traditions at the Middle School, such as Spirit Week and the Pep Rally, Fall Events, Winter Week, the 9th grade Dance, among various others.
Prefect Council is the Student Government at the Upper School campus. Prefect Council is made up of 12 Prefects – 4 from each grade – as well as 2 Head Prefects. Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Prefects are elected by their respective classes the spring before, while Head Prefects are elected by the junior and sophomore classes on behalf of the student body the spring before. The Head Prefects lead the Council, by leading and organizing meetings, dividing the Council into various committees, and overseeing the overall direction of the Council. Prefect Council’s responsibilities include working on and proposing policy that improves the Harvard-Westlake experience, planning various events such as Homecoming Formal and Prom, serving on committees focused on large and small projects, and representing students through taking ideas and feedback and bringing them to the administration. Prefects also have the additional responsibility of serving on the Honor Board – the Upper School’s disciplinary body. Instead of having administrators deal with Honor Code violations, the school allows the students to have a voice in the process through Prefects, students’ representatives, serving on the Honor Board.
I’ve been lucky enough to serve on both of Harvard-Westlake’s student governments. I didn’t arrive at Harvard-Westlake as someone who sought to be on a student government, but my classmates’ ideas of how to improve our community inspired me to run for Student Council. After being elected by my peers, I became deeply involved as I realized I could make a difference in our community, and ever since, Student Government has been my main passion as I’ve been able to channel my passion for creating change into it.
Part of what makes Student Government at Harvard-Westlake so rewarding is the value the school puts it in. Harvard-Westlake doesn’t treat Student Government like an extracurricular it offers – Student Government is genuinely given the ability to impact students’ life and create change within the community. For those in Student Government who dedicate large amounts of free time to it, this dedication is worth it as you get to see real change be made because of what you do on behalf of your classmates.
Student Government at Harvard-Westlake has been life changing for me, and for anyone interested in it, I can say without a doubt that Harvard-Westlake is a phenomenal place for those looking to get involved with Student Government and other types of student leadership.
