For the past three years at HC, Benson King has been involved with a diversity of clubs and extracurricular activities. King’s involvement at HC continues this year as he was elected 2022-2023 Student Council President at the end of his junior year.

“I was the Student Council President in eighth grade at Morton Middle School and I have always loved being on student council at HC,” King said. “It was a lot of fun and I feel like I have a lot of ideas for students this year.”

With all his previous experience, King was eager to get started on planning student council events. King has plans to bring fresh ideas to the council and HC students this year. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the student council has been unable to hold the majority of its events over the past three years. As a consequence, King is excited to revive and create events for students during the 2022-2023 school year.

“I plan on utilizing all the connections and relationships I have made through clubs and extracurriculars to make this year something memorable for everyone,” said King. “After homecoming, things seem to die down and I have looked into collaborating with other clubs to plan more events because there is a lot more I would like to do with student council this year.”

Along with overseeing student council events and charities, King also has direct access to Site-Based Decision Making (SBDM) meetings. SBDM meetings are held monthly with Mr. Little and most of the HC administration in attendance. These meetings are used to directly address school or district-wide issues. King represents all HC students’ voices during these meetings and has the opportunity to voice any concerns he deems appropriate.

King believes the most important part of this role is being in touch with students. Establishing a connection with students as an effective way of communicating has been a primary focus of his during these first couple of weeks.

“I’m going to establish a way students can come to me if they have any serious concerns, so they can voice it and have it heard,” King said. “Not only will we discuss it at student council, but I can talk to Mr. Little or bring up the issue at an SBDM meeting. I just want it to be known that if you have an issue at HC, you can come to me.”

King has had concerns going into his senior year regarding both his leadership positions and the social climate at HC. The large population, dress code, and new expectations have been a source of uncertainty for most students. Even with these shared concerns, King believes that this school year is going to be great.

“I have been working really hard to get things in order for students who have expressed their concerns to me,” King said. “I heard Mr. Little say this was the best first day we have had at HC in a while, and I couldn’t agree more. I see a lot of opportunities and fun activities for HC students this coming year.”