The executive council held a meeting on March 6 for students interested in officer positions in the student council next year. Many topics were covered at this meeting, including information on campaigning and the positions/responsibilities of council members.
In order to campaign next year, a student must first turn in an Intent-to-Run form to Mrs. Long or Mrs. Sollie by March 15. These forms may be picked up in rooms 2216, 208, and 204. This form must be turned in before a candidate may begin to campaign.
There are only a few mediums that are allowable in campaigning for votes. These include posters, stickers, buttons and pins. All materials must be handmade and only 6 posters are permitted per candidate. These posters must be hung in the stairwells and will be removed if hung in an improper place. Items that are restricted for use in campaigning include candy, food, pens, pencils, fliers and clothing.
Students will also have to write and record a 30-45 second speech to be broadcast to the school on March 26 during Pride Period. Voting will occur on March 26 and 27, and the results will be posted shortly afterwards outside room 2216, 208, and 204, as well as the lobbies in both buildings.
The guidelines and duties for both executive council and class council members were discussed as well. Some guidelines include a 2.0 GPA, no out-of-school suspensions and service hours every semester.
The duties, however, differ widely depending on the position that the student is either elected or appointed to. Presidents call and preside over meetings, organize agendas, and perform duties deemed necessary by advisors. Therefore, the President needs to be very organized and able to speak in front of a group of people. The Vice Presidents act as President when the President is absent and organize/coordinate elections, so they also need to be organized and responsible.
Another position is the Secretary, whose job is to record and post all minutes (notes) and take attendance at all meetings, requiring them to have great organization skills, as well as a sense for important facts. The Treasurer coordinates fundraisers and ticket sales, and assists with financial records. Therefore, the Treasurer needs math and organization skills. Finally, the Sergeant-at-Arms maintains order at meetings and coordinates assemblies/receptions, requiring them to be both responsible and loud.
The class councils have the same positions as Executive Council, but Executive council is open to all students, while class councils are only for students in that class. Executive Council also has an additional position not present in class councils, which is class representative to the executive council. This student goes to the Executive Council meetings and makes sure their class’ interests are kept in mind.
This meeting was useful to current and future members of councils and was met with what seemed to be a positive reaction.
“I believe that student council has a voice, helps the school and treats others well, which is why I want to be a part,” said Laura DellaBadia, junior and prospective vice president.
