According to Casey Winkler, what students get out of their high school experience is directly proportionate to what they put into it.

If that’s true, Winkler will be taking along a boatload of great memories when he graduates next June. And he and his buddy, Sam Paterson, will be at least partly responsible for helping their classmates have great memories, too.

Winkler and Paterson are this year’s student body president and vice president.

Apparently, Winkler came up with the idea of seeking office first, so he took the top job when they put their names on the ballot. But the seniors clearly are a team.

After all, they’ve been best friends for years. Their mothers, Debbie Winkler and Marsha Paterson, were friends before they were born, and each has three older siblings who also are companionable.

Their relationship has survived many tests, from rivalry on sports fields to the age-old battle of Duck (the Winklers) vs. Beaver (the Patersons).

“And Sam often finds his way to outwit me,” Winkler said.

When they reached high school, Paterson served as a freshman class senator. Then he took a break to concentrate on his beloved baseball and other activities.

Winkler focused on playing basketball and tennis for the Grizzlies his first two years.

As juniors, both teens became more involved in leadership activities. They were encouraged by their friend Garrett Hunt, last year’s student body president.

They found they enjoyed being involved and knowing they were helping others.

Besides, Winkler said, “It’s nice to be in a position of power.”

One of the things they enjoyed most last year was being part of the 2007 Homecoming celebration, especially the raucous assembly.

Winkler joined Hunt in a skit based on “Dumb and Dumber,” complete with sherbet orange and powder blue tuxedoes. Paterson, using the alias DangerBonz, risked his life — or at least his pride — doing an Evel Knievel-style jump while wearing roller blades.

Now they’re looking forward to this year’s Homecoming events, which will take place next week. To get more students involved, Winkler, Paterson and others in the leadership program are offering $250 to the club that shows the most spirit by hosting a booth at the Monday night carnival, painting a window and building a float for the Friday afternoon parade.

The parade and the assembly that precedes it always are highlights. “Everyone is dressed in red, white and black and it’s the peak of school spirit,” Winkler said.

He and his vice president have been kidding each other about one aspect of Homecoming: the royal court. Both say the other is likely to be elected king.

Paterson said Winkler would be perfect for the title, because he would make a great acceptance speech. But Winkler said Paterson is more suited to being crowned.

“Look at that heartthrob over there,” Winkler teased. “How can he not be voted king?”

They launched their senior year by dressing as astronauts for a welcome back event attended by teachers and other staff members from the entire school district. More costumes and characters — including, possibly, DangerBonz — will likely make an appearance before the year is out.

They’re planning a mix of new activities and traditional ones, such as the canned food drive and battle of the bands. In many cases, they want to put a new spin on the events to freshen things up.

“We’re trying to step out of the box and leave our mark on Mac High,” Winkler said.

He and Paterson said they want to bring the student body together and encourage everyone to participate.

“Getting people involved is important,” Paterson said. “It makes things more fun, and it keeps you away from bad stuff you shouldn’t be doing anyway.”

They also want to make the year fun. That’s especially important this year, they said, as Mac High is a construction zone, with heavy equipment taking up some parking places and hard hats almost as common on campus as baseball caps.

Keeping a sense of humor will help students deal with any frustrations that arise due to the construction, they said. And that attitude led them to celebrate the repairs of recent sewer problems with a commode race, featuring toilets painted in the school colors and mounted on wheeled platforms.

For the race, as with many of the activities planned by members of the leadership class, they invited teachers to participate.
“We really like to get the teachers involved. It’s good for everybody,” Paterson said. “The more they support us, they more we’ll support them.”