In Barack Obama’s most recent inaugural address he said to our country, “My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it, so long as we seize it together.” Whether you are a returning senior or a freshman new to campus, or anyone in between, work together to rise above challenges you will face this year.

“I expect high school to be a challenge but at the same time I think it will be the time of my life,” freshman Kyle Lull said. “I know I will have bad experiences and I am nervous, but I am ready.”

By the time they begin their freshman year, students have spent as many as 11,754 hours of their lives in school. Students see that not everything about their school is perfect and are speaking to initiate change to make all of those hours worthwhile.

“I want a stronger enforcement of rules to make sure everything is organized,” junior McKenzie Dicks said. “People do not follow parking rules or PDA rules at school and it can really become annoying. When adults drop off their kids in the wrong spots, it causes cars to pile up. It is also irritating when people are making out everywhere you look.”

Students not only want want to see rules enforced but crave to see electives added to the current course offerings.

Elective courses offer students the experience to choose their own path of study. The number of classes required by the state of Michigan for students to graduate limits the number of electives they can take. However, students still desire more diverse options to expand their learning experience.

“I would like to see more AP electives,” junior Sylvia Stack said. “It would give students the opportunity to earn college credit in other ways than through IB classes.”

Along with more elective courses, students also want to see more clubs available.

While sports may consume the lives of many, others spend their time after school in various organized clubs. Key Club, National Honor Society and Student Council complete work to better the community, but more clubs focusing on specific hobbies and interests are wanted.

“There should be clubs such as dodgeball or guitar club,” junior Jake Lee said. “It gives people who are interested in other things besides sports an opportunity to pursue their interests.”

The social aspect of clubs is carried over from after school activities into the school day with lunch. Lunch is one of sophomore Ben Wood’s favorite parts of the day. It is a time to relax, eat and socialize with friends. Despite the success of lunch room sales, some students would like to see changes to school lunches including the possibility of an open campus policy.

“I would like to see a different variety of snacks, like Jello,” Wood said. “Sometimes there are days where I do no not like the food at lunch and it would be awesome if I could go off campus to a place like Taco Bell.”

Students are active in voicing the need for change. As a school community we represent a diverse set of desires and goals, ranging from student perspective to the perspective of the faculty. As students we must collectively strive to accomplish goals in order make a more productive future. The new year has begun and this gives rise to new opportunities for change and improvement.