CCHS Student Senators Are Here to Represent You in Their ‘Student Speak-outs’

By Anna Riley 

06/06/25

COLONIE- It's not an uncommon thing to feel like your voice doesn't matter in a big school, especially in Colonie Central High School. Being a High School student is already awkward, and hard to navigate, and feeling like you don’t have a say in your learning environment can really take a toll on your abilities as a student and as an individual. Student Senate, a club at CCHS has a solution: Student speak-outs. 

Secretary of Student Senate, Brody Daoust, explains that speak-outs “Typically unfold in an open forum format, allowing for various topics to be raised spontaneously. Students can bring forward issues ranging from academic policies to personal dilemmas.  To set a constructive tone, the president and the officers of Student Senate propose guidelines for discussions, encouraging respect and focus.”

Oftentimes, as Daoust mentioned, senators will set a referendum and present solutions on those topics. Student Senate also welcomes and encourages those who are not a part of the club to come forth with their needs too. 

President of student Senate, Abby O'Neill, stated that she believes “Speak-outs are very important because it is truly one of the biggest ways a student can feel their voice matters. It's really easy to be swept under the rug, just another voice in the crowd, especially in a big school. So it’s a really cool thing that students get to do when they actually get to voice their opinion, and make a change.”

At the most recent speak-out, the biggest topic presented was the ‘Yonder’ phone pouches that are going to be used during the next school year. Senators brought up how students might feel disconnected from their peers as well as their family members while not having access to their phones all day.

Some students use their phone to communicate with club members, as well as as their advisor in the club. The lack of phones will make it difficult to get things done that might need to be done during the school day.

O'Neill recalled, “Sometimes I talk with the other senators about it and we've come up with various solutions to other problems. We had some complaints about phones this year, and we proposed that instead of getting pouches to keep our phones in all day, we could possibly  use the patches on the wall or allow students to use their phones as a privilege.”

Current CCHS senators believe that future generations of senators will take the student speak-outs far beyond where they have reached today. They continue to hope that our school can provide an environment where the students feel that they can have a voice, because that is one of the most essential parts to a democracy.

“As the newly elected Student Senate President, my vision for the future of student speak-outs revolves around amplifying student voices even further. I aim to implement a digital platform for anonymous feedback, encourage diverse student representation, and host thematic speak-outs focusing on specific issues, thereby creating a deeper discourse. Further, to inform the student body that I will lead not through commentary, but through action,” Daoust said, acknowledging his role in the success of student speak-outs in the future. 

Student Senate anticipates future speak-outs being more lively and equally representative of all students. The club continues to work hard to make the school a better place for all, and hopes that students will continue to use their student speak-out forum to make a change.

“I really hope that the future senators grow speak-outs, but maintain the integrity and the respect of them. Every speak-out I've ever been to has never been confrontational.” President O'Neill said. 

Student Senate’s overarching goal is to present a political climate where everybody feels that they have a voice, and are fairly represented by either their senators or their staff members.