In life it is a natural thing to want to be a leader and not a follower. From first born to line leader, club president, team captain, class officer, student council, or president.
However, even though people would like the opportunity to go in the running to become someone higher in power, there could be many contributing factors that could prevent one from running for such a position.
In high school, one of these sought after positions is a seat on the student council. The student council of West Milford High School is in charge of school pep rallies, REC assemblies, school dances, and various student activities all of which are meant to be enjoyable for the entire student body.
In order for the student council to function well it needs students who are dedicated to making that school year, and following ones, to be the best they can be for everyone to enjoy.
Usually people who are hard working and dedicated to such a cause run for student council, along with many other leadership positions in the school, however, it is not always seen for that purpose. Now a days, the young adults of our hallways see opportunity in every corner possible and sometime that’s not as great as it seems.
More often than not, some run for certain positions, such as a student council member, for nothing more than another pretty page on their future college application. Though it is a great motivator, in the end, it can cause more harm than good. The thought of having the “glory” of being on such a school oriented group does make for a great push, but if the person does not have school spirit and or the intentions of actually changing and reviving the school as much as s/he can, it is pointless.
A bigger question would be how does the student council get elected? The answer is simple; popularity. The school’s student council is solely elected by the popularity vote. How does one gain the popularity vote? Promising things s/he can’t deliver and having friends vote for him/her? Now that’s all fine and well, except after winning the competition, you actually have to put your effort into helping and making the school into a better place.
This isn’t the only situation in which popularity vote gaining has a down side.
When a team captain is elected it is because of his/her dedication to the team. They’re there to motivate, help, and improve the team. They are selcted not only for their knowledge of the sport but also their dedication to the overall well being of the team itself. High School should be no different.
Instead of voting for someone because they’re generally a well liked person is no reason to allow them to be elected. Vote for someone who actually cares about the school and will put forth their very best to making the school a better, funner, and enjoyable place for the entire student body.
