Student council elections are right around the corner! As the NDB community gathers to listen to the candidates’ speeches and pick a new, spirited student class council and ASB leaders, many may face a common conflict: whether to pick our friends or the best candidate?
While it may seem like an easily solvable problem, we have to consider the scenarios often associated with student elections. What if our best friend is running against a better competitor with an incredible speech and fresher ideas? What if, previously, that friend had asked for our vote?
When the time comes to open the Google form, are we going to “betray” our friends for someone else?
Furthermore, popularity can sometimes be the deciding factor in student council elections – and I’m not so sure it should be. So what if someone knows the latest fashion, TikTok trends or television series? That makes them more likely to win than someone else capable yet less socially caught up.
It is very tempting to choose someone who is part of our everyday social circle and is up to date with the latest styles. Don’t get me wrong—if someone is the best candidate for a certain student position, of course, we should vote for them! This leads directly to my point: as the voting population, we all have the responsibility to vote for the person who has the potential to create the greatest influence, change and sense of community among all students.
Arsema Aron, freshman class president, feels that “class and school elections should be based on the quality and content of their speech rather than basing your vote on how you feel about a candidate”.
Elizabeth Brodeur, a member of the sophomore class council, also contributes by saying that “it all starts with giving candidates an equal opportunity to prove they are capable of making the class better. When the students actually have a clear idea of what the candidates stand for, they are more likely to vote on capability rather than popularity.”
ASB spirit director Isabella Micheal provided an example of how students can extend their vote to see the promising future for a candidate in collaboration with spirited events, such as rallies and Aquacades. She explains, “Since ASB performs a 10-minute-long routine for Aquacades, I would trust candidates that have attended or been in a routine to execute such a feat”.
To be able to vote for our school and class representation is a great privilege that comes with tremendous responsibility. We are practicing democracy, a structure of equality that must give a fair chance — no matter what background or popular connections — to all candidates hoping to represent our voices as a student union.
