Candidates should focus on reasonable initiatives

Several juniors and seniors have recently been promoting themselves as good candidates for junior and senior class council officers. The positions of president, vice president, secretary and treasurer are voted on by students within the class. Every year, there seem to be similar objectives and initiatives promised by the candidates that are not fulfilled. Of course, the familiar routine activities such as the Blood Drive, Dance-A-Thon, flower sale and the candy gram distribution are typically upheld. The new innovative ideas, however, often get brushed aside and forgotten about once the candidates are solidified in their positions.

Class elections are often competitive and are more than a mere popularity contest. As people promote their campaigns on social media through fliers and entire accounts they share their ideas which sway voters.

A lot of the ideas and goals that senior and junior class council candidates advertise are unreasonable. For example, ideas that were campaigned by the current senior class council included things like senior class field trips. Organizing a field trip for the entire senior class, of approximately 900 students, is unattainable.

Furthermore, things that the senior and junior class councils want to implement have to be proposed to the Principal’s Cabinet. Administration will strike down ideas that are not well organized or take away from school and lack purpose.

Some of the ideas generated this year include more intramural sports, expand fundraising through raffles and sales, and increase school spirit through pep rallies and special class events. All of these sound like nice ideas. However, candidates often underestimate the details that go into things such as generating new intramural sports. For instance, teachers who run intramural sports are paid through negotiated stipends.

It is important for the people who are elected to be held accountable to the promises they make within their campaign. People running for council positions should have an understanding of what campaign goals are achievable and be prepared to compromise with administration. The student body wants to see the councils pushing for what they promised in their campaigns to come to fruition. Even if ultimately the ideas are denied, the student body should be assured that the councils fought for the ideas they were voted in to fulfill.