On February 12, just hours after the MV vs. Marion basketball game, the Marion Wildcats entered Mount Vernon Township High School, and the Mount Vernon Rams entered Marion High School. This is the Mount Vernon/Marion Student Exchange, where members can host students from Marion or attend Marion High School for a day. Many members were involved with the exchange from both Marion and Mount Vernon Student Councils.
Chelsie Horner, ‘26, hosted Lela Springvloed. “I have known her for a few years now, and it was fun to show her around and have her with me all day,” Horner said. Hosting a student meant that members took a Marion student with them to every class all day until after seventh hour.
“It was interesting to see someone else’s perspective of MV,” said Zuri Das, ‘25, who hosted Maddie Stoodley, a junior from Marion. Zuri thought Maddie would be bored during the day just following her around all day, but fortunately, they became friends.
Lola Hudson, ‘26, encouraged MV students to run for MV Student Council so they have this opportunity to host other students: “I think it is a great way to make new connections and an experience not everyone gets to experience unless you are a part of student council,” Hudson said.
Other students were hosted by Marion students at Marion, including Isabella Stanford, Paige Powers, and Lillie Myers. “Marion had a lot more freedom compared to MV; students roamed the halls more, and they weren’t very strict on phones in class. The hallways also weren’t as busy compared to MV,” says Stanford, ‘26. “An interesting thing to experience was that their tardy bell was a cat growling,” Sarah Butler, ‘25, said about the first thing she noticed when going to Marion.
“I enjoyed going to Marion and seeing all of my Wildcat friends while also attending school for a day as the experience,” said Cam Meyer, ‘25, who visited Marion and spent time with one of his friends. Cam has been able to participate in the Student Council Exchange before this year because he has been a member of MV Student Council since his freshman year.
“It was such a unique experience that most will not experience going to another school during high school,” Butler says. Being able to attend another high school is a unique opportunity that most students are not provided with during their high school years.
“I loved attending another school and seeing what it was like there. It was especially valuable considering I’m in a club that can help me make changes at my school that are inspired by this experience,” said Myers, ‘25, Chair of the Culture Committee, a student council committee that works to make changes to improve the school atmosphere.
“I went to Marion, and my host was one of my friends I met over the summer. We had so much fun all day,” Stanford, ‘26, who went to Marion. Some people were hosted by people they didn’t know, which can be a difficult experience for some.
MV Student Council was excited to host Marion Student Council in the Student Council Exchange and hopes to exchange with another LEDSC high school soon.
