Being a part of the Western Massachusetts Association of Student Councils (WMASC) has been one of the most thrilling, exciting, and rewarding leadership experiences in my life. WMASC brings together student councils from all across Western Mass to collaborate, connect, and grow as leaders. As Vice President of our region, I have gotten to see how beautiful it is when students from different schools come together for a common purpose.
On Thursday, November 6, we hosted our annual fall conference at Easthampton High School. Easthampton High School is a much smaller school than Minnechaug making the energy so much more amplified. The conference began with an opening ceremony to set the tone for the day. After that came the workshops, which are what many students look forward to when attending a conference. Workshops are student-led activities that drive innovation, creativity, and teach other students valuable lessons that they could bring back to their own student councils. Being on the WMASC board, I had the chance to lead my own workshops called “Disco Detective,” which was based around this year’s theme: Boogie to the Beat of Leadership.
In my workshop, I had the students stand in one big circle and designated one person to be the “detective.” The detective had to turn around while I silently chose another student to be a “leader.” The leader does different dance moves and the rest of the group is supposed to copy their moves and be in sync with them. Once I tell the detective to turn around, they have to guess who the leader of the group was. This was a silent workshop where the only time someone spoke was when the detective was guessing who the leader was.
In my workshop, I wanted students to learn that leadership isn’t always loud. Sometimes it is quiet and subtle, making it really important to be observant. Through this activity, students got the chance to experience how teamwork and influence work hand-in-hand with each other and how paying attention to group dynamics can make or break leadership.
Beyond the workshops, later, we heard from our keynote speaker, Mrs. Drawec, the Student Council advisor at Longmeadow High School. Her words were so motivational and she reminded us that leadership starts with authenticity, and small acts of initiative can spark real change. Adding an element of creativity to her workshop, Mrs. Drawec made her keynote speech interactive by making students get up and literally “boogie to the beat of leadership.”
By the end of the conference, there was an amazing sense of connectivity between schools. That is what I love most about WMASC–It is never about the leadership title of events, but rather; it’s about building community, supporting one another, and giving every student the capacity to contribute. WMASC gives students the chance to grow, connect, and celebrate leadership in all its forms.
