With a campus of 276 students, a team of 30 leads peers by spearheading formals, rallies and service days.
Student leadership also doubles as a Bible class; leaders must recite weekly verses, read leadership books and participate in class discussions.
“Students who want to be in student leadership have to have the desire to serve the student body,” Josh Tosland, adviser, said. “Being in student leadership gives students a chance to experience something different rather than their regular classes. Leadership’s main goal is to serve the students by finding out their needs and wants through actions and activities.”
Although the class provides organizational skills, many believe the experience can be stressful.
“Student leadership can also be fun because I like helping the school,” Paige Powell, ’10, said. “I also like putting on events, decorating and painting signs.”
The leadership class serves the students in other ways. During Thanksgiving week, after Fresno Pacific University choral group, Crosswinds, sang in chapel, leadership served over 30 pies to the high school.
“I just heard the word ‘pie’ mentioned in chapel and the next thing I knew, I was eating a piece of scrumptious apple pie,” senior Stephen Willems said. “All other matters became irrelevant.”
Willems did not return to the FPU information table to check out the local university and its programs.
Currently leadership plans the traditional powderpuff tournament on Nov. 16.
“For powderpuff we are getting the fields ready, making practice schedules and making signs,” John Dinsdale, ’09, said. “We think that this years powderpuff will be the best one yet. Having powderpuff is cool because as a guy and a football player I get to see the girl’s competitive level go up. It also shows them what we go through in football.”
After winter break, the class begins to discuss and organize Night of the Stars (NOTS).
“NOTS is an event that brings our school together in a formal setting,” Katelyn Aydelotte, ’08, said, “it is also a way to show what video productions works on. Our school does not offer a dance, so this is the one formal event that everyone gets to go to. It is an event were friends and couples can hang out and where the school community can bond with each other.”
In the midst of formal plans, leadership offers various intramural sports during lunch. Currently, the team expects to host badminton, within the next two months.
“We put on intramurals in order to incorporate students who usually do not play sports to come play,” Scott Orcutt, ’09, said. “It is also a fun activity for the student body to participate in at lunch.”
Leadership does not only cater to the student body, but the faculty as well. They will host the annual teacher breakfast prior to Christmas break in addition to a pie day, providing free dessert to all in commemoration of Thanksgiving.
“I was in leadership last year,” Eric Kister, ’10, said, “and it’s definitely a lot more work than I thought it was going to be. It consumes a lot of time and effort; many students don’t realize the stress and commitment leadership requires.”
