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MHSAA Accepting Student Advisory Council Applications

Negaunee's Abby Nelson, left, tries to get separate from Ishpeming's Emma Poirier in the first quarter of their high school girls basketball game played at the Miners' Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium on Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

EAST LANSING — Even all the way up in the Upper Peninsula, students are invited to apply to become a member of the Student Advisory Council affiliated with the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

Current member Abigail Nelson of Negaunee is one of the soon-to-be graduating seniors whose term will end this spring.

The council seeks four boys and four girls from the Class of 2021 to take the seniors’ places and join eight students from the Class of 202 with the group.

They meet on matters related to maintaining and promoting a proper perspective and sensible scope for high school sports in Michigan.

Nelson wasn’t unique as an area student on the council. Munising 2017 graduate Marissa Immel is a past member of the group, as is Manistique 2014 grad Coby Ryan and at least three other U.P. students since the council was formed more than a decade ago.

To be eligible, candidates must be scheduled to graduate in 2021, complete the official application that includes three short-answer questions, have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0 and be available for all scheduled meetings.

In addition, candidates should show a history of leadership on athletic teams as well as with other extracurricular activities, community service projects or in the workplace; and show an understanding of the role of school sports and have ideas for promoting a proper perspective for educational athletics.

There are six tentative dates for in-person meetings in the 2019-20 school year from late August through mid-May at the MHSAA office in East Lansing. All are Sundays except for Saturday, Feb. 1. Tjere are also two conference call meetings set for a pair of Sundays in January.

Applications are due in the MHSAA office by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24. Applications can be downloaded from the Student Advisory Council page of the MHSAA website, filled out on the computer or handwritten, and returned to the MHSAA office by e-mail, fax or any mail delivery service. The link to the MHSAA page is https://www.mhsaa.com/Schools/Students/Student-Advisory-Council.

The Student Advisory Council meets seven times each school year and once more for a 24-hour leadership camp.

In addition to assisting in the promotion of the educational value of interscholastic athletics, the Council discusses issues dealing with the 4 S’s of educational athletics: scholarship, sportsmanship, safety (including health and nutrition) and the sensible scope of athletic programs.

A fifth S — student leadership — is also a common topic. Members contribute in planning Sportsmanship summits, Captains clinics and other student leadership events, and assist with medal ceremonies at MHSAA championship events. The Council also judges the “Battle of the Fans,” which it created during the 2011-12 school year as a way to promote positive sportsmanship.

No U.P. students are among the eight in the Class of 2020, those one member comes close with Pellston’s Kaitlyn Bricker.

The eight new members of the Student Advisory Council will be notified by April 26.

For more information, contact Andy Frushour at the MHSAA at 517-332-5046 or afrushour@mhsaa.com.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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