No representation for student government by Sara Touzard, managing editor

In a democratic society, the government is supposed to be run by the people since it is for the people. People must participate in government so their voices can be heard.

But our student government is not getting the support it needs to function effectively because of student apathy.

According to Mr. Nisonoff, student government advisor, in last year’s student government election, there were only 350- 400 votes out of the total student population.

This illustrates that there are less students willing to run for office and less students who care enough to vote.

All of the representatives are doing a fantastic job and are dedicated to making the school the best it can be. However, over the past few years, the students that originally ran for student government positions are the same students who continue to volunteer and help whenever and wherever needed.

Student government needs to have new representatives step up and make a difference. The school needs fresh ideas and proactive students who are willing to take leadership.

The whole purpose of being in a school where a student’s voice can be heard is being wasted. Students should stop complaining to each other about the school and voice their concerns through the student government so that changes can occur.

There has been a decrease in school spirit, which is evident at school events where hardly anyone shows up. Students don’t appreciate being here and what the school has to offer.

“I think there is an issue over lack of school spirit. People expect to wait for ideas to come up out of the blue and expect for us to hand these events over to the students. However, this school doesn’t function like that. Our school is set up differently where the students have total power to come up with any activity that they want to do. The students are the ones that come up with ideas, promote those ideas to the rest of the student body, and are responsible for hosting the event. A huge problem is that most students are not willing to take leadership into making our school the best it can be,” said Student Government adviser, Mr. Nisonoff.

The school offers many opportunities to join a club, activity, or participate in or attend a school event. All students can participate in any activity the school offers. They also have the opportunity to create their own club if they have a special interest.

For better or for worse, this is our school.  As students, we can make a difference by  participating in the student government or by expressing our opinions to the elected representatives. They can take the suggestions to the teachers so that changes can be made. Without the voices of the students, the school will continue to stay the same.

Student government gives some advice about participating in student government for future students.

“If anyone is not happy with the way the school is run, then I fully encourage anyone to run for student government. It’s a democracy, so you will just have a possibility of winning just as much as anyone else,” said Student Government adviser Mr. Nisonoff.

“Make sure that you surround yourself with people who want to do the same as you, and have a plan at the beginning of the year of what you want to accomplish and let nothing stop you,” said senior president, Avi Solkoff.

“My advice for anyone who wants to participate in student government would be that if you decide to run for a position, you need to start spreading the word out no matter what other people would say. You always need to set up a plan and always be prepared for anything,” said sophomore president, Rita Cinquemani.