Kit Clemente and Audrey Piehl
Opinions Editors
In many countries this early display of democracy would be cherished. However in a nation born into the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, this privilege and civic duty can be shooed to the side. As a student body we take for granted our ability to choose who will mold the high school experience. Teachers feel the need to impose democracy upon us, literally handing us the ballots and forcing us to elect our peers into positions we really don’t know much about.
In NCHS the voter does not go to the ballot, but the ballot comes to the voter. This seems odd to me, especially since my English class and our Huckleberry Finn discussions do not seem to correlate with StuCo elections and voting.
This observation caused a question to form in the back of my mind: is the fact that the ballot is handed out to every student in English a statement that very few students would vote otherwise? If so, is this democracy not corrupted by giving those who are more neglectful of their voting privilege than, say, as someone who would be willing to seek out the ballot at any time?
Besides, in creating an environment where students do not have to seek out the vote, is it training them to do the same in their future lives as voters in U.S. government elections? Is this not incompatible with the format of today’s world?
Perhaps it would be beneficial for the student body if StuCo members articulated their purpose and role in our high school careers. It shouldn’t take Ms. Schulz to pump up an oblivious crowd’s interest. In the future, an exchange between representatives and the student body should be established in order to facilitate more interest and growth within our school.
Overall, I am very disappointed in the Courant. If the writers of this article actually went out and took the time to interview Student Coalition members, perhaps they could report the truth… Student Coalition is the student governing organization that does not only plan prom, but runs all the homecoming festivities (ALL OF THEM, EVERY SINGLE ONE) as well as putting on many other community service activities throughout the year to raise funds for our school and various charities. I’ve been a member for two years and the amount of time put into homecoming (planning spirit week, king and queen votes, SET DECORATION, the pep rally, game and parade, and the dance) as well as prom (tickets, music, decorations) is overwhelming. Finding hard-working candidates that are willing to put in the time and effort to help make our few school-run social events a success, is very very rare. We have tried on many occasions to gather more members and involve more students in such central aspects of the high school, but to no avail. The student body scoffs at our work, when in reality, we just want to make these events as memorable and fun as we can. Year after year, the poor turnout in elections reinforces the lack of enthusiasm and almost disrespect present among the student body. Year after year kids join just to add something to their college resume, agree to help, yet the night before prom, there are only three kids setting up the whole Stamford Marriott until 12am. Perhaps I am reading into the article the wrong way, but it feels as if you are writing Student Coalition off as joke of an organization. As some one who has spent multiple hours in the cafeteria setting up decorations, decorating the gym before the dance (when all other girls are busy getting ready), counting ballots, setting up the sound equipment for the bonfire, building the bonfire, setting up Ramstock, going out and finding/buying/ordering all prom decorations, transporting the decorations, and actually decorating (again, hours before prom when most girls already have their hair done), I take offense when someone writes off Student Coalition as not important and not present in students’ lives. These events do not happen on their own.
I stood behind the Courant during the Sex Pullout scandal, but I am not impressed with this article.