The Student Equity and Belonging Council was newly formed this year to bring students and administrators together to “advocate for underrepresented voices,” according to April Bell, Motivational Mentorship program coordinator and one of the sponsors.“We are really big on hearing student voices–and making sure they know their voices matter around the school building,” she said. “So we want to raise awareness about their ideas and what they think needs to be changed or brought to administrators so it can be handled in the best way possible.”

Ayanna O’Connor, a junior, said, “The meetings are fairly fun. We explain our focus for that meeting, and then sometimes one of our sponsors will give us data to go over, and break us into groups to talk about issues around the school.”

Additionally, Jacinda Fitzpatrick, a junior, said, “The way that these meetings are conducted, it makes me feel seen and heard in every issue I have.”

The council’s main goal isn’t just to come up with ideas, but to also find solutions. The council’s goals are “hearing you guys, that is the biggest thing,” Bell said. “Encouraging and guiding on taking the proper steps with your initiatives and action plans. Making sure you know we are here and standing by you and see[ing] it through.”

The council was formed this school year by its lead sponsor, Latonya Applewhite, OPRF’s executive director of equity and student success.

During a meeting on Nov. 21, the members of the council had the opportunity to meet with Director of Campus Safety Kristen Devitt to ask questions or express concerns they had about the security department. The main issue brought up was the bathrooms being locked, especially during advisory. Devitt explained they shouldn’t be locked during that time, and if they are to email her directly.

The council also had the opportunity to go on a trip to the Minority Student Achievement Network Conference, held in East Lansing, Mich. on Nov. 13 to 16. “This is where students from across the United States come together and share their ideas and data from their schools and create plans for the future,” Bell explained. 

“We were able to connect with other schools and talk about the equity in their communities, and then we worked within our school district to come up with a potential policy to help better our students,” said O’Connor, who was one of the delegates on the trip.

The council offers many opportunities for students looking to “be part of a positive change in our school’s culture,” Bell added.

The council is continuing to focus on its top goals of “creating safety and security measures around the school where everyone is treated equally and creating awareness around teacher student etiquette,” Bell noted.

The council meets biweekly afterschool on Wednesdays and offers meetings during lunch for students who can not attend after school. It is open to all students looking to better our school.