This week, Type One sat down with senior Zack Shevin so that he could tell us about his role as president of the Pine Crest Student Council. He organizes events around the Upper School and works with administration as an important student-liaison. Elected by his peers, Shevin is doing a great job filling the expectations his classmates set for an ideal Student Council president.

T1: What duties fall within your title as the president of Student Council?

Shevin: As president, I am in charge of planning and executing any and all StuCo events, running the occasional assembly, and more generally just representing and voicing the opinions of my peers.

T1: Who do you work with to get things accomplished?

Shevin: I work with the Student Council sponsors, Mr. Weinberg and Mrs. Theoharris.  I also get a ton of help from my V.P. Rosie Rothschild, and the rest of my executive board, especially Steering Committee co-chairs Ana Simon and Sophie Sanda, secretary Alan Bary, treasurer Alexa Marcus, Director of Athletic Activities Caroline Adkins, and class presidents Stefy Grau, Salma Abuhamda, and Katie Sullivan. Though the executive board does a ton of work, the rest of the steering committee and class board members all play a role in brainstorming and planning.  The tailgate, the dance, and a whole bunch of other activities could not have been possible without all of Student Council, including every member of the Steering Committee, whose dedication may sometimes be overlooked.

T1: Have you been involved in any other leadership roles before at Pine Crest?

Shevin:  I was class president my sophomore year and was Jake Lieberfarb’s V.P. last year.  Outside of Student Council, I am a Type One editor and am involved in the Math Club, Drama Club, and some other on-campus organizations.  

T1: When is the busiest time of the year in regards to your duties as president?

Shevin: The busiest time of the year is definitely homecoming week.  Making sure five days of activities run smoothly is a lot of work, but with the help of the rest of StuCo, it was not too difficult.  We tried our best to make each day as fun as possible for all of our peers, and I really hope everyone enjoyed the week this year.

T1: Are there any specific events StuCo is planning that you can tell us about?

Shevin: Though a ways away, we will be planning Febfest and Sadie later in the year.  Though we do not know the dates, we hope to bring back the student-teacher basketball game and some other Febfest traditions.  We are also excited to plan an exciting Sadie Hawkins dance. Earlier on the calendar, we hope to bring back the holiday breakfast before midterm exams.

T1: What are some accomplishments you have achieved throughout high school so far?

Shevin: Some measure accomplishments in medals, trophies, and certificates, but I find that the only way to truly find accomplishment is by making an impact on others.  I would consider my closest thing to an accomplishment to be my research work.  The past several years, through the science research program, I have conducted experiments in a neurological laboratory at Florida Atlantic University.  Working on stroke and Alzheimer’s research, I have made a slight contribution toward finding effective treatments.  Though I am one of the smaller pieces in the massive global puzzle that is neurological research, knowing that I contributed feels like an accomplishment.  Knowing that is definitely more gratifying than any self-satisfaction that has come with any individual awards or recognition I have received over the years.

T1: How do you think this role will help you in the future?

Shevin: Running meetings has definitely made me a more organized person. Throughout high school, giving speeches from time to time for StuCo along with acting in musicals and plays has allowed me to elevate myself as a performer and has made me more comfortable in the spotlight, both figuratively and literally.  Above all, I think being president has elevated me as a negotiator.  Getting a five-day homecoming week this year definitely took a degree of persuasion, and getting events approved always requires some convincing.

T1: What have you learned about yourself and Pine Crest while taking on this role?

Shevin:  I cannot say I have learned much about myself this year, but I have learned a lot about those around me.  I have learned that Pine Crest is a genuinely great place.  Not that I had doubts about that before, but being president has put me into contact with a number of students and faculty members with whom I have shared wildly positive experiences. Being president has allowed me to collaborate with tons of great people with whom I would not have worked with otherwise.

T1: Do you find it difficult to balance other school work with your duties as president? Is it a stressful job?

Shevin: I like to keep myself pretty busy.  When I am not working on Student Council stuff, you can find me rehearsing for the musical or the play, jumping over some hurdles on the track, editing Type One articles, testing a gene therapy in the lab, or doing a number of other things.  I have always kept myself super busy extracurricularly, but getting school work done has never been much of an issue. I feel like stress is not really a part of the job.  People usually become stressed because of negative experiences, but I really enjoy taking on the role of president, so I am generally pretty stress free.

T1: What is your favorite part of being president of Student Council?

Shevin: My favorite part of being president is sitting back and watching events take place.  Organizing events is somewhat taxing, as each meticulous detail of an event needs to be coordinated for it to be successful.  Once all of the planning and hard work is done, being able to watch my classmates reap the benefits is a pretty good feeling.  The goal when planning a StuCo event is to show the student body a good time, so witnessing my peers enjoying an event that I planned is an awesome feeling.

It is clear that Shevin is an incredibly multifaceted student and leader who has made many contributions to give back to Pine Crest and its student body. Type One would like to thank him for his diligent work in making sure events run smoothly around Pine Crest and for taking the time to give us the inside scoop on the fun, pressures, and realities of being the president of Student Council.