The start of the school year marks a period of change and growth, both for The Hill School as an institution and for the student body as a whole. The student leadership of the school emulated this change. For the 2022-2023 school year, SGA Co-Presidents Stefanie Li ’23 and Jesse Corser-James ’23 take the helm, with a focus on preserving old traditions while still boosting school spirit. The interview below was edited for clarity and concision. 

The first question I want to ask is if you guys have plans for the school year: general policy changes that you’re looking to improve, get rid of, or change, anything along those lines? 

SL: First, definitely a main goal and vision is for more community engagement. So, that comes in many forms, like in terms of weekend activities, student-led activities and student-led programs during the school year. And also just making sure that during more exciting events, like Strawberry Festival, spirit week, L’Ville Weekend, that we have as much school spirit as we can possibly get, and just making sure the community is really connected as a whole. Secondly, towards more serious policy changes, we have been hearing a lot of things about the schedule, even though we don’t know if that’s possible, and then also dress code changes.  

Do you have an idea of where you want that change to head? 

JCJ: Yeah, I mean, we haven’t really talked much about it, but we have just been noticing so many prep schools just go to more lenient standards on dressing.  

SL: Maybe no-tie Wednesdays, something like that. 

JCJ: Yeah, we know that has been a thing every year, but we feel like we can push it this year more because of everything that’s going on.  

One of your bigger plans was to improve the big sibling program. Is there anything that we can look forward to following the goose chase event that pertains to the big sibling program?  

JCJ: Yeah, we’re going to work with Mrs. Neese. We met with her last year about the goose chase and stuff, but what that meeting basically was about was we are going to make up more, because you know, with the big siblings before, it was kind of just, you know who your big sibling is and that’s it, there was not really any other activities. Our plan is, we’re definitely going to make more activities, but what those activities are, we are still working on it.  

SL: Yeah. But definitely more consistent bonding events for students so that they can solidify a tighter relationship with their big and little siblings. 

JCJ: And we felt the goose chase did that. It seemed like everyone was having fun. 

What’s one of the plans that you have that you’re most excited for in general? 

JCJ: There are a couple things we’re excited about right now. I think a big thing we’re going to do is work with student life this year.  I know this isn’t really a plan, but I want to work with Ms. LaMarca, figure out what we can do at games and stuff like that, and we were talking about the band thing, I’ve already worked on that a little bit. I’ve talked to Mrs. Neiswender about it, and it’s gone in the right direction so far. And the dress code, I feel like we can do a lot with that. I mean, a big thing we will focus on this year is just noticing change is coming, and I feel like there’s a new Hill coming. We’re still focusing on traditions, but I feel like people need to be ready for that too.