Student Council convention builds teamwork, bonds

A blindfolded Baylor Pugh carefully threaded his way through the maze as Hank Hanza told him which way to turn, careful not to kick over an upturned red plastic cup. A similar scene took place in a different section of the maze as another pair also tried to avoid hitting a cup.

The maze participants were some of the 300 students from 15 Oklahoma schools who attended the Oklahoma Association of Student Councils District 3 Convention at Albert Johnson Sr. Convention Center on March 12. MacArthur High School hosted and planned the event.

Pugh is a member of the student council at Cache and Hanza attends Sterling; the two were randomly paired for the maze exercise. Hanza told Pugh which way to turn and how many steps to take as they worked together to successfully navigate the maze laid out on the floor.

“I was scared I was going to run into the wall a few times,” Pugh said. “I couldn’t see where I was going.”

Hanza said giving the instructions was not too hard. This was the first time either had participated in such an exercise.

Kristen Keplinger, activities director at MacArthur High School, said this was the third time in 20 years that MacArthur had hosted the convention. Students attended three breakout sessions and participated in two team building activities. Several also enjoyed a large bounce house set up in the gym.

In the community service breakout session, students made cards to give to local nursing home residents and wrote a note to the adviser who accompanied them to the convention. They also wrote a note of encouragement on a clothes pin, which they were to clip on someone else.

“We wanted a chill environment with a laid back exercise everyone could participate in,” said Isabella Hughes, MHS sophomore who helped organize the community service session. “It brings other schools together. They make new friends outside of their schools.”

In the Sharing is Caring session, students worked in groups to plan an event.

Ivan Bracher, MHS senior, said the session was designed to show students how to work together to get things done.

Holly Ward, senior at Lawton High School, had attended a couple of the breakout sessions.

“It opens your mind up to different challenges student councils face and to opportunities,” Ward said, who has been on LHS student council for three years and is now treasurer. “Each school has its own way of doing leadership.”

Mackinzlee Dacci, MHS senior, said members of the MHS Student Council had been planning the convention since mid-January.

“It’s great to have other schools come,” she said. “The main goal is to have a good bond with everybody and take ideas back to our students.”