You find yourself in an auditorium surrounded by 2,000 rambunctious teenagers screaming at the top of their lungs, clapping, dancing and cheering with seemingly endless energy. Are you annoyed? Intimidated? There's no reason to be.

After all, you're at the National Association of Student Councils convention. The national convention, held once a year in various locations, is a chance for high school students and their advisers to gather for workshops, games, dances, sightseeing, idea exchanges and community service.

The convention is the culmination of the teens' involvement in student council, a government organization found in most schools.

Michelle Green, 17, and Phillip Hilligoss, 18, have long been involved in student council -- she for five years, he for four. Both served last school year on the Indiana Association of Student Councils Executive Board and were chosen to attend the 2002 national convention in Virginia.

Green attends Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School. Hilligoss just graduated from Brownsburg High School, where he was student council president.

Green joined student council in middle school at the suggestion of a teacher who thought she had the right leadership skills.

"When I got to high school, freshman year, I didn't have the time, and sophomore year, the events and the involvement that took place looked like a lot of fun. Planning dances and the community service that student council does at Brebeuf really got me wanting to be involved."

Hilligoss joined student council for the camaraderie. "I originally wanted to join just because it was something that I'd always heard a lot about from older brothers and sisters of my friends. And all the people who were involved were my friends."

But what, exactly, does a student council do?

"That's the body that brings information to the administration about what needs to be done better in our school. It also is the main driving force in school spirit at my school. Without student council, we wouldn't have spirit days, homecoming or any of those events because we're the ones that plan it," Hilligoss said.

Student councils also often plan large fund-raisers, help clubs organize events and initiate community service projects.

"It really takes a leader and a person who knows how to take charge and is very organized," Green said.

As student council president, Hilligoss also convened council meetings, set the agenda and executed the roll call, he said.

Both were chosen as exceptional student council leaders and attended the four-day national convention in 2002 at Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach. Indiana had one of the largest delegations -- 90 students.

There were daily workshops on communication, leadership training, personal skills and community service. An idea exchange was held every morning, and there were motivational speakers every afternoon. Evenings were spent at a nearby theme park, on the beach, or at a dance.

"I got more out of it than I thought I would. It was a great experience. It showed me the school spirit that our school needed to have," Green said.

Hilligoss agreed.

"It truly was the best experience of my life," he said, adding that he learned about leadership.

"One, it starts with trust. You have to be able to trust the person that you're following, and if you're leading a group of people, you have to be able to trust them," he said. "You have to have a good individual relationship with each person on your team. If you know them by name and you know who they are and what they're involved in, then that will make them want to follow you."

Green says she learned many skills she now uses at school and in her community.

"As captain of the varsity soccer team, it has helped me become a better leader and a better communicator with my players and with adults, such as the coaches," she said.

"I believe it also carries over into community service," she added. "I have become an active volunteer at St. Vincent Hospital and have also become an active member with the Lord's Pantry club that my school started."

Like Green, Hilligoss' student council work led to more community involvement. "I started volunteering around the community, from getting items for a women's shelter to helping out our church youth group to planning workshops for middle (school) and high school sophomores," he said.

Both students said being a part of student council also has led to self-improvement.

"I learned to be more outgoing when you don't know anyone at all, to kind of jump in and just walk up to a group of people and say your name and become a part of what they are," Green said.

"It has helped me by looking at people differently . . . getting to know them for who they are and looking past their physical attributes," Hilligoss said.

Hilligoss was unable to attend the 2003 convention in Buffalo, N.Y., because of graduation, but Green was there.

"It is hard to put into words the energy that was present between students who knew each other for less than a couple of days," she said.

Both agreed their leadership would continue after high school.

"I plan on attending college and most likely becoming involved in my college's student government," Green said.

"I am planning on becoming a teacher for a few years, then going into motivational speaking for another few years, then hopefully going into politics. So we'll all see what the future brings me," said Hilligoss, who attends Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and hopes to transfer next semester.

REPORTERS: Stephanie Bolen, 13; Connor Glass, 11; Mary Hannon, 12; Collin LaMothe, 13; Adelynne Stevenson, 11.