Shelbi Carrera
Student Council Coordinator
Email: scarrera@bellvillebrahmas.org

Sara Beth Muzny
Student Council Coordinator
Email: smuzny@bellvillebrahmas.org

Student Council represents the student body and helps organize activities that build school spirit, encourage student involvement, and improve campus life. Members develop leadership skills while planning events, supporting school initiatives, and communicating student ideas and concerns. Contact the Student Council coordinator for information about membership, meetings, elections, projects, and upcoming activities.

Student Council meetings and decisions
Officer elections and student leadership
School-spirit activities and theme days
Dances, assemblies, and special events
Campus-improvement and service projects
Fundraisers and donation drives
Student concerns, ideas, and proposals
Member and council accomplishments

Covering the Student Council Beat

Start Here

Introduce yourself to Mrs. Carrera and Mrs. Muzny and explain that you are covering Student Council for the BVP Newsroom.
Confirm that Student Council meets on the first Thursday of each month during Flex Time in the library.
Ask how she prefers to be contacted and how far in advance interviews and coverage should be arranged.
Request the current Student Council calendar, including meetings, elections, school-spirit activities, dances, service projects, fundraisers, and deadlines.
Ask for the names, grade levels, positions, and contact information of the Student Council officers and class representatives.
Ask whether reporters may attend meetings and whether any portions of meetings are closed or off the record.
Check with Mrs. Balke and the student officers regularly for decisions, schedule changes, and upcoming activities.
When you discover a possible story, submit it as a pitch before beginning full coverage unless your teacher tells you otherwise.

Your Responsibilities

Check for Student Council updates at least once each news cycle.
Maintain contact with Mrs. Balke, Student Council officers, and class representatives.
Keep track of meetings, elections, school-spirit activities, dances, service projects, fundraisers, and deadlines.
Watch for decisions, proposals, and activities that affect the student body.
Pitch promising stories to the newsroom.
Arrange interviews, meeting coverage, photography, and video coverage in advance.
Confirm names, officer positions, dates, locations, election results, fundraising totals, and official decisions before publication.
Follow up after meetings and activities to obtain final decisions, results, photographs, and student reactions.
Include the voices of students affected by Student Council decisions and activities.

Important

Ideas discussed during a meeting are not necessarily final decisions. Clearly distinguish between something that was proposed, something that was approved, and something that has officially been scheduled. Confirm decisions with Mrs. Balke or the appropriate Student Council officer before publication.

Do not announce candidates, election results, event details, or policy changes until the information has been officially released. Student concerns may involve private or sensitive information, so do not identify a student who raised a concern without that student’s permission.

Reporting Your Student Council Stories

Possible Story Ideas

Student Council elections, candidate announcements, or official results
New officers or class representatives begin their terms
Student Council plans a dance, assembly, pep rally, or school-spirit event
Theme days or activities are announced for Homecoming or another special week
The council begins a fundraiser, donation drive, or service project
Members propose or complete a campus-improvement project
Student Council presents a student concern or proposal to administrators
A proposal is officially approved or put into action
The council requests ideas, feedback, or participation from students
Students organize an activity in response to a campus need
Student Council partners with another school organization or community group
A council member leads an important project or event
An officer or member receives leadership recognition
A project reaches a fundraising, donation, attendance, or participation goal
Student Council introduces an activity Bellville has not held before
Members attend a leadership conference, workshop, or special event
The council reaches an anniversary, membership, or service milestone

Signs There May Be A Story

Pay attention when:

An election, filing period, meeting, event, or deadline is approaching
Candidates begin campaigning or election information is released
A proposal could affect a large number of students
Student Council approves an activity, project, or change
Students are being asked for opinions, ideas, donations, or volunteers
A dance, spirit week, assembly, or special event is being planned
The council begins a fundraiser, service project, or donation drive
A student raises a concern shared by other students
Student Council works with administrators or another organization
An officer or representative takes the lead on an important project
The council is doing something for the first time
A project reaches or exceeds an important goal
A decision or schedule changes after it was previously announced
An activity produces visible results on campus
You hear that a proposal has moved from discussion to approval
Members return from a conference or event with awards, ideas, or an interesting experience

Questions to Ask: The 5 W's and 1 H

You will not necessarily ask every question below. Select the questions that fit your story and ask follow-up questions whenever an answer is unclear or incomplete.

Who was involved?

Which Student Council members participated?
Which officers or representatives led the activity?
Who proposed the idea?
Which students will be affected?
Were administrators, teachers, other organizations, or community partners involved?
Who made or approved the final decision?

What happened?

What was discussed, proposed, approved, or completed?
What activity, event, election, or project was involved?
What responsibilities did Student Council members have?
What decision was made?
What was accomplished?
What changed from the original plan?
What should students know or do next?

When did it happen?

When was the meeting, election, activity, or decision?
When did planning begin?
When will the event or project take place?
What deadlines should students know?
When were the results or decision officially announced?
When will the next step occur?

Where did it happen?

Where was the meeting or event held?
Where will the activity take place?
Where can students vote, sign up, donate, or participate?
Where can students find official information or updates?
Where will the results or completed project be visible?

Why does it matter?

Why was this idea or project proposed?
Why did Student Council choose this activity?
Why is the decision important to students?
What campus need or student concern does it address?
Why should students participate?
What difference is the project expected to make?
Why was the proposal approved, changed, postponed, or rejected?

How did it happen?

How was the idea developed?
How did Student Council gather student input?
How was the decision made or approved?
How were responsibilities divided among members?
How will the project or event be organized?
How will it be funded?
How can students participate or provide feedback?
How will Student Council determine whether the activity was successful?

Questions for Student Council Officers and Members

What is your role in Student Council?
What responsibility did you have for this project or event?
Why did you support or propose this idea?
What was the most difficult part of planning it?
How did students’ opinions influence the decision?
What do you hope the activity accomplishes?
What have you learned about leadership?
What happens next?
How can other students become involved?
What would you like students to understand about Student Council?

Questions for Candidates

Why are you running for this position?
What experience or qualities would you bring to the office?
What would you like to accomplish?
What student concerns would you like to address?
How would you represent students with different opinions?
Why should students vote for you?

Give competing candidates a fair opportunity to answer comparable questions.

Questions for the Coordinator or Administrator

What was Student Council’s role in this decision or activity?
Has the proposal been officially approved?
Who has final authority over the decision?
What rules or limitations apply?
How will the activity affect students?
How will funds be collected, managed, or used?
What comes next?
Is there anything about the proposal, election, or decision that students might misunderstand?

People You May Need to Interview

Depending on the story, consider interviewing:

Student Council coordinator Susan Balke
The Student Council president
Other council officers
Class representatives
The student who proposed or organized the activity
Students responsible for particular parts of an event
Candidates in a Student Council election
Students who will be affected by a decision
Students with different opinions about a proposal
Members of other organizations working with Student Council
Teachers or administrators involved in approving the activity
Community partners or volunteers
Students attending or participating in the event

Do not interview only Mrs. Balke or the Student Council president. Include the officers, representatives, organizers, and students directly affected by the decision or activity.

For election stories, treat candidates fairly and avoid giving one candidate substantially more coverage than another.

What You Need to Collect

Before writing or producing the story, collect:

The complete and correctly spelled names of everyone involved
Each student’s grade level
Each student’s official position or role
The official name of the meeting, election, event, or project
The date, time, and location
The purpose of the activity or proposal
An accurate description of what was discussed
Whether the matter was proposed, approved, rejected, postponed, or completed
The name of the person or group with final approval authority
Important deadlines and participation instructions
Official candidate lists and election results, when applicable
Verified attendance, participation, fundraising, or donation totals
Information about how collected money will be used
What happens next
At least one useful quote from a Student Council officer or representative
At least one useful quote from a student affected by the decision or activity
At least one useful quote from Mrs. Balke or the approving administrator
Photographs or video of the meeting, project, or activity
Identification of everyone shown in photographs
Relevant agendas, minutes, flyers, ballots, schedules, announcements, or official documents
The name of the person who confirmed the information

Before You Leave

Ask yourself:

Do I have the correct spelling of every name?
Do I know each student’s grade level and official position?
Do I know exactly what happened?
Do I know when and where it happened?
Did I distinguish between discussion, proposal, approval, and final action?
Did I confirm who made or approved the final decision?
Have candidates and election results been officially announced?
Did I give competing candidates a fair opportunity to respond?
Do I understand how the decision or activity affects students?
Did I interview at least one Student Council member?
Did I interview students affected by the issue when appropriate?
Do I have strong quotes—not merely “I’m excited”?
Have all dates, totals, costs, and results been confirmed?
Do I know what happens next?
Do I have usable photographs or video?
Did I identify everyone shown in my photographs?
Did I get permission before covering the meeting or activity?
Did I protect private information about students who raised personal concerns?
Is there another officer, representative, administrator, or student I should interview?

The Bellville Herd

NEWSROOM

A Brahma Video Productions Student Newsroom