Alverno Girls Are Empowered to Lead. At Alverno, we believe in the power of our young women to impact change and through a unique government system more than 50 percent of the Alverno student body is involved in government. Using their voices and the leadership tools Alverno provides these young women are an integral part of building the legacy of Alverno today as well as Alverno tomorrow.
Be A Leader. Leave A Legacy.
On March 20, 1987 twenty-three Alverno Heights Academy students signed a document of Declaration of Suspension and Reconstruction of the nationally traditional ASB Constitution. After visiting our nation’s capital, these young women decided to “break the bonds of a philosophically unsound constitutional structure” and establish a new government based on the government of the United States. Under a new constitution, the Alverno Student Union (ASU) was born.
At Alverno, student government representatives serve in three different branches of the government: federal, legislative, and judicial. The federal government is composed of a President and Vice-President who run on a ticket each year at the annual ASU Nominating Convention held in the spring. This convention consists of four parties that represent four key aspects of the Alverno student community:
The GOAL Party: The students placed into the GOAL party are placed according to their survey results, these students recognize the value in athletic achievements. These students are Alverno’s Girls of Athletic Leadership. In more ways than one, they are goal oriented. Driven on the field and off, they seek to improve and increase the athletic prowess and presence here at Alverno Heights Academy. As a representative party of the school, the GOAL Party will work to promote athletics here on campus through your suggestions. From better gear to improved facilities to new programs, this is the student’s opportunity to point Alverno Athletics in the direction you want it to take.
The CATs Party: While each of these students may hold varying interests (from Clubs to Arts to Theater), according to their survey results, all of them are united in their commitment to their out-of-the-classroom education. From science, to fandoms, to world cultures, to the many arts, their dedication to their individual fields is rarely matched. Together, this party will increase and improve the impacts of all activities on campus have on the lives of Alverno students. The CATs Party looks to evaluate the following questions- Are there enough co-curricular activities? Are there too many? Are they too big? Too small? How do you feel we can improve the presence of our clubs? How do we get more students interested in our activities? The students in this party directly influence the direction of the future of clubs, arts, and theater here at Alverno.
The LEAD Party: Leadership, Empowerment, and Dedication. Based on the results from these students’ survey, they are used to standing at the forefront. These young ladies are committed to leading where others would follow. From clarifying government responsibilities to taking our campus events to the next level, by being a part of this convention party these students are provided the opportunity to improve the quality and impact that the Alverno Government and our campus events have on the student party. The LEAD Party looks to evaluate the following questions- How can you demand that your government represents you? What can we do to make the pep rallies more exciting? How do we host campus events to better impact the entire student population?
The GROW Party: According to these students’ survey results, they look to improve the aesthetics and experience of the Alverno campus. These students are Girls Reinventing Our World. From increasing students’ access to modern technology to bettering the landscape for a more beautiful campus, GROW members have an eye for quality. These students use that skill to suggest how the school can improve Alverno’s campus. The GROW Party looks to evaluate the following questions-How can we improve the technology we use? What new appliances could improve your lunch experience? How can we improve our gardens? How can you as students, take better advantage of our beautiful campus?
Following their election, they interview students to serve as members of their cabinet (a list of cabinet positions is attached). The legislative branch is composed of the Alverno Congress, which includes three representatives from each class, or state as they are known at Alverno. Congress drafts, passes, and approves bills and resolutions that affect the entire student body on a wide spectrum of policies. A judicial branch includes two Supreme Court justices from each state and a Chief Justice. The Supreme Court must agree a bill is constitutional before it may go into effect.
All Alverno students are considered to be citizens of the Alverno Union and of their own state as freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors. Each state has its own Constitution as well as the following positions: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant At Arms, and assemblywomen. These young women are responsible for making decisions specific to their own state.