North Star Forum
  • 2024-01-08
  • Views:362



"The governance based on virtue is like the North Star, staying in its place while the multitude of stars revolve around it." The "North Star Forum" was named with the intention of encouraging students to participate more in community development and to better construct a campus community that belongs to the students through their proposals. On the afternoon of January 8, 2024 CAS time, the North Star Forum was successfully held in the auditorium. During the forum, student representatives put forward a number of improvement suggestions. These proposals reflected students' deep understanding of daily life details, moreover demonstrated their positive attitudes towards campus environment improvement.



Under the hosting of Ken, student representative from the Associated Student Board, and Jenny, Secretary of the Associated Student Board, seven students took the stage with the problems they discovered in the school's development and possible solutions, engaging in discussions with the entire school's faculty and students.

The first to take the stage were Aria and Claire, students from the Volunteer Department, who summarized the issues with express delivery in the school and proposed detailed improvement plans. Express delivery has become an integral part of daily life, and the convenience and environment of receiving and storing deliveries are important. Therefore, they proposed expanding the size of the delivery room and turning it into an enclosed space to provide a non-mosquito and non-damp environment in the summer. The storage area for deliveries needs maintenance, and they also suggested that the Volunteer Department regularly recruit volunteers for cleaning, allowing students to jointly build and maintain the campus.

Coming next, Sammy raised the issue of late-night study applications for preparatory grades. He proposed an improvement plan: implementing a temporary late-night study application mechanism for preparatory grade students who are taking regular classes, while the Academic Affairs Office would provide a list of students who meet the conditions for applying for late-night study, for the Student Affairs Office's reference. This would help some students who have unfinished assignments but are pressed for time to have a chance to catch up. He also considered that some students might apply for late-night study just for entertainment purposes, so he suggested having teachers patrol and remind noisy students, tighten supervision, and use the Powerschool system for attendance.

Ella and Jiaxin then represented the corridor improvement project, proposed their enhancement plan. Insufficient lighting, inconvenient location of the corridors, difficulties in getting academic help in winter... These problems stem from the unique location and environment of the corridors. They proposed relocating students who study in the corridors to the teaching building, which would be closer to toilets and lockers, making it more convenient for academic assistance, and without incurring additional costs.

Michael, representing the Information Department, presented many improvement plans for the auditorium. Among them, he considered safety issues to be the most important. The ladder to the backstage lighting control platform is too narrow and inconvenient for going up and down, so it needs to be replaced or expanded. He believes that in order to achieve better stage performance, it is necessary to purchase lighting and audio equipment, with room for improvement in the quality of both lighting and sound.

At last, Ella, Jiaxin, and Martina proposed hardware improvement plans for the dormitories. Issues such as insufficient storage space, uncomfortable table locks, and non-light-blocking curtains... These details, which can only be experienced in the long term, were finally brought to the forefront by them. They also highlighted a problem summed up as "upper bunk Sahara Desert, lower bunk North and South Poles" - how to solve the temperature difference between the upper and lower bunks? They proposed installing wind blockers on the air conditioners in each dormitory, and gave specific cost estimates for implementation. They also suggested replacing curtains and removing iron sheets from drawers, sparking enthusiastic discussions among the students.


Through the North Star Forum, students not only put forward feasible improvement plans, furthermore demonstrated a sense of responsibility towards the campus environment and community. The school highly appreciates these insightful proposals and promises to provide detailed responses in future school assemblies. North Star Forum strengthens communication and understanding between teachers and students, as well injects new vitality into the continuous development and co-creation culture of the campus, showcasing the vibrant practice of SHBS's co-creation spirit.


文 | Yomi Chen(G9)

审核 | Wu Xu

翻译 | Lexie Liu(G11)

排版 | Jang

配图 | Photography Club