The Saint Paul’s Student Council attended the Louisiana Association of Student Councils annual state convention held Jan. 17-19, 2026. Saint Scholastica Academy’s (SSA) Student Council also attended, and Saint Tammany’s district gained a few new representatives along the way, too.

The convention serves as a way to bring the student councils of the state together to share ideas, communicate, and vote on new district and state officers.

This year, a record number of candidates ran for state office, and one of the winners was someone from our own district.

The campaigning was held over the course of the three days of the convention, with the voting taking place on Monday morning of January 19. The newly elected state president was our 2025-2026 district president from Archbishop Hannan High School, Maci Eilers.

In addition, Haynes Academy in Metairie took the office of state vice president. Captain Shreve in Shreveport took the office of state secretary-host, meaning that they will host the convention next year. Finally, Erath High School in Erath took the office of state parliamentarian.

Saint Paul’s senior and student body president Rhodes Hidalgo is expecting a great future for our school and district, especially with the new LASC state president at such a nearby school. “This is very exciting for the guys who will be taking over next year, as in the past, we worked very closely with Hannan, and this will open up even more opportunities for our guys,” Hidalgo explained.

Our district, District II, got new delegates as well.

Saint Paul’s and SSA both got a spot on the district board for the 2026-2027 school year, with SSA junior Mariana Orejarena taking the district parliamentarian spot and Saint Paul’s sophomore Charles Richard taking the office of district secretary.

The parliamentarian’s job is to maintain order within the board and to ensure that everything and everyone stays on task, as well as managing general council affairs. The secretary’s job is to keep the constitution and to communicate with schools around the district, as well as to maintain records.

Archbishop Hannan took the role of district president for next year, Christ Episcopal High School took on the office of district vice president, and Christ Episcopal Middle School took the office of district representative.

Rhodes is also optimistic about the coming year involving the district board as well. “We also have one of our very own on the district board, which will help Saint Paul’s get even more involved with LASC and collaborate with other local schools,” Hidalgo said.

A lot of stuff happened outside of just the voting, however.

Saint Paul’s won the Gold Council of Excellence award at the convention, an award given to the best student councils around the state. Saint Paul’s was also awarded a scholarship to the LASC summer workshop next summer.

Saint Paul’s Student Council advisor Ms. Case is very happy with the results of the convention and encourages any aspiring leaders to join the council. “I am excited to see what the future holds for our council as we incorporate new ideas learned at convention. I would like to invite anyone who is interested in getting involved to attend council meetings Tuesdays at lunch in room 107,” Ms. Case said.

Throughout the weekend, councils from around the state convened and shared ideas, all while participating in activities and reconnecting with friends from other LASC events, such as the state-wide leadership workshop this past summer. The event began on Saturday evening with a general state-wide council meeting before transitioning into the next day, containing guest speakers, small group meetings, and a dance that night.

Saint Paul’s freshman Ollie Hyman was one of the various Saint Paul’s Student Council members who went to and enjoyed the convention. “It was fun hanging out with the Saint Paul’s guys on the bus and at the hotel, and it was an overall great experience where I got to meet new people,” Hyman said.

The LASC state convention, held this year at Pineville High School in Pineville, LA, was themed after musicals with the slogan “LASC takes the stage.”

Students from Saint Paul’s and SSA participated in contests as well. Saint Paul’s seniors Rhodes Hidalgo and Luke Murphy participated, with Rhodes taking the current events test and Luke participating in the essay contest. SSA also placed 2nd overall in the playbill poster designing contest.

Furthermore, Saint Paul’s senior Rhodes Hidalgo and sophomore Charles Richard helped to lead two different student-led exchange groups. These groups served as a way to meet new people from across the state, as well as to bring in new ideas and leadership styles.

With all of this in hand, the Saint Paul’s Student Council, as well as our district as a whole, is expecting a very good year coming up, and plenty of creative and fresh ideas are bound to be set into motion, thanks in part to the convention.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Saint Paul’s Student Council