PODIUM
PROMISES To be truly representative, the class council election process must do a better job of engaging and informing voters
E
very year, Jefferson students gather in some of the school’s largest venues for an annual tradition -- election speeches. Over the course of an eighth period block, dozens of candidates share their visions of class events and traditions in the hopes of winning support from their classmates. Students listen attentively, pinpointing on well-crafted ideas and experiences that make candidates a deserving selection as one of their classes’ leaders. Or at least, in an ideal world, that’s what would happen. In the Jefferson election environment, though, substance takes a backseat to gimmicks and name recognition. Whether due to their uninteresting nature or simply apathy on the part of voters, candidate platforms go unnoticed. Instead, aspiring class council members are forced to rely on past experiences, comedy routines, or false promises in their speeches to stand out. Election speech events should be a celebration of dedication to student government and a genuine desire to make improvements for the sake of students. Yet, for 40 minutes, students are subjected to an endless stream of jokes, along with plans that have no chance of panning out.
The end result of this is a system that causes students to become less and less interested in class council as the years go by. In last year’s school-wide election, for example, more than a third of the student body -- or 34% -- chose not to submit a ballot. As for candidates, the number of potential electees dwindles year by year. Whereas freshman candidates typically number in the dozens, by senior year, it is common to see students running against just one or two of their classmates. Because substance often gets ignored in the Jefferson election process, candidates with thorough and new ideas eventually give up on their class counil aspirations. Instead, positions often go to the incumbent candidates, who have a larger voter base simply because of name recognition.
34% The percent of the student body that did not vote in last year’s school-wide election