McClintock’s Student Council took a trip to Gilbert High School for the annual Arizona Association of Student Council’s spirit conference on Thurs., Sept. 3. The theme for this year’s conference was ‘promoting the American dream’ and McClintock’s student council represented our country in style.

“The theme, and the patriotism I see in all of you [student attendees of the conference] is what we need,” Principal of Gilbert High School Christopher Stroud said. “You all have the ability to make your schools better.”

The AASC conferences are an annual tradition that focus on fine-tuning student council members’ leadership skills. Student Council members from all over the state and country have taken these leaderships skills to intense levels.

“You are looking at the student body vice president of my high school,” said Gilbert Mayor John Lewis. “We [a collection of state mayors] talked about you. We talked about our future leaders and their strength…We need you to carry on [that leadership] in our communities.”

Yet the purpose of student council is not just to lead or “control” as some may think. Student Council members have the task of trying to unite every member of the student population as one body.

“You are the people who help bring friends together,” California Student Council Advisor Stu Shaffer said. “You change [the school] into a community.”

“You’re good at bringing people together,”  guest speaker and professional speaker on leadership and empowerment Eddie Slowikowski said. “You’re good at making connections”.

In addition to making individual schools stronger, the conference addressed the importance of improving communities, as well.  AASC’s Spirit Conference makes sure to depict this as one of the many purposes of the event.

“The Spirit Conference, the general purpose, is to get all of the student councils from our district together,” Senior Class President Sandra Cornejo said. “So we can share ideas and talk about some of the best things that differentiate our student council from other student councils…We are the future. Kids are the future. So letting us all come together and share ideas, it’s very motivational.”

Another goal of the conference was to demonstrate the importance that passion plays in roles as not only student council members, but members of society.

“Successful people, accomplished people, are made of what you have, passion,” Slowikowski said. “You get out of life what you put into it…by being passionate, by being alive you bring life to those around you”.

All members felt the day was valuable.

“I think the most valuable lesson I have learned is being able to open up to others,” Cornejo said. “Because there’s kids at our school who might be quiet but want to still do these clubs and stuff. And so I feel that AASC has really taught me to get others to open up.”