Sam Cross shares perspective on campus leadership

Chatter and conversation reverberated in the Peoples Church auditorium as students, teachers and families gathered to attend opening Convocation beginning the school year at Fresno Christian in August 2017. Campus administration expressed their excitement for the upcoming school year.  

During his Convention opening address, Superintendent Jeremy Brown calls the student body “world changers” and challenges them make a positive impact in the lives of others. Scholastic Journalism Week’s theme of “Student Voice, Student Choice” concurs with Brown’s message.

Everyone faces character defining decisions in their life. In order to cause and inspire change in the world, students must choose to lead and act in such a way. They must choose to use their voice to advocate and rally change.

Abstaining from conflict solves nothing. Students share no difference with adults as we all face challenges on a daily or weekly basis.

Change often stirs controversy and takes time for others to accept. As a body, students share a powerful, collective voice that when used in a detrimental way, leads to regression instead of progression.

At school, I came into conflict with a teacher over differing views about the purpose of the class and the student body’s outlook of the subject. Through discussion and reconciliation, we came to understand each others stance on the issue.

In my pursuit of bettering myself, I learn more about the time it takes for change to take hold and become accepted by the majority. Successful student leaders who lead in their classes and in their communities stand and live out what they instruct others to do. — Sam Cross

From the conversation I concluded that my proposed changes were too sudden and the teacher’s course of action was realistic and calculated. Frustration and negativity were not effective and instead I found that logical reasoning and trying to understand both sides of the discussion provided a better resolution. One must listen to all perspectives before forming an opinion on a debated subject.

I often see campus students avoid conflict or strife and instead let tensions build to a breaking point. In many cases, school administration must intervene and act as a mediator between student to teacher and student to student confrontations due to a lack of communication between parties.

On campus, aspiring world changers work consistently on improving their school and the lives of their peers. I plan to begin new discussions that will parlay into better class involvement and engagement with others and themselves.

Associated Student Body president Roman Endicott writes monthly columns sharing personal experiences with the student body. His insightful thoughts into student’s needs and desires benefit those who read his work. Endicott impacts lives through his dedication as he serves the school as a student leader. 

In my pursuit of bettering myself, I learn more about the time it takes for change to take hold and become accepted by the majority. Successful student leaders who lead in their classes and in their communities stand and live out what they instruct others to do.

Change takes time. World changers must seek opportunities and consistently live out what they seek to transform in their communities and schools. One way to be world changers this week is to participate in serve day, March 1.

For more articles, read Recapping Scholastic Journalism Week, Feb. 18-24. For more columns, read COLUMN: Scholastic Journalism Week inspires students to find voice.

Sam Cross can be reached via email and via Twitter.