By WESLIE STRATTON
Moapa Valley Progress
PHOTO BY WESLIE STRATTON/Moapa Valley Progress.
For the first time in Moapa Valley High School history a local student has been selected to serve on the Clark County School District School Board Student Advisory Committee. Moapa Valley High School junior, Chase Kruse was selected to represent his school and to be the voice of all rural schools within the district.“
The Student Advisory committee is a group of high school students chosen throughout the Clark County School District,” said MVHS student government counselor Charlie Cooper. “As far as I know
Chase is the first to be chosen (from our school) for that. We’re pretty excited.”
Cooper said that only 12 to 15 students are chosen from the entire school district.
“It’s quite an opportunity for us,” he said. “We get to express views about the valley out here.”
Cooper said that Kruse will be attending occasional meetings to talk about the school’s concerns.
“I think it’s exciting because we’ve never had a voice on the committee before,” Cooper said. “He’ll talk to kids at our school and take their concerns to the board. He’ll express what outlying schools need.”
Kruse said that one thing that excites him about this opportunity is that he will be able to stand up for an under-representative segment of schools.
“The smaller schools in the district don’t always have a voice,” he said.
Activities unique to rural schools like the Burning of the Eagles have been banned by the school district because of a lack of understanding, Kruse said. Because of the size of the school and the rural location, activities involving a bonfire are easily supervised in places like Moapa Valley. But such activities would be understandably inappropriate for much larger schools in urban settings, he said.
Kruse intends to explain these differences to the board and gain better understanding and communication for rural schools in the district.
“The school doesn’t get a big enough voice,” he said, adding that he intends to share the good ideas that stem from MVHS students.
In order to be considered for the position Kruse had to undergo an application process in which he was asked various questions regarding his qualifications.
“I’m pretty actively involved in school,” he said.
He said that among his qualifications he listed that he is on the National Honor Society, MVHS Student Council, Spanish Honor Society, has a Green Hand in FFA and plays three sports.
He is excited to be serving as a rural area representative.
“This is a really good opportunity for me,” he said.
