Is it really a student council at Saint Viator? Or are the most popular people in each grade making decisions that they think are good without talking to anyone else outside of student council? Is your voice actually being acknowledged, or are the voices of the elected holding more weight than the general student? Student council or student monarchy?

At the end of each school year, people interested in student council apply and are then voted on by their grade. These people go on to make decisions on homecoming and pep rallies, while also representing the wants of their fellow classmates. Is this really the right way to go about expressing the desires of students in each grade? Could there be an alternative where students directly express what they want for student council? Many other student councils around the country have student council groups, or STUCO for short, where those interested from every grade, no matter what activities they’re involved in or who they’re friends with, can be a voice for their grade. These people directly say what they would want for homecoming and pep rallies, and they make up a direct student council instead of a representative student council.

Mrs. JoAnne Francis, director of student affairs and moderator of student council, discusses elective student council.  

“It creates more of a commitment and an accountability,” said Mrs. Francis. “Having an open student council where anyone can show up whenever they want to isn’t efficient in getting things done.”

This is a valid argument, since she would be the one organizing the decorating days and planning homecoming if nobody came to help out with student council activities. Students feel differently, though.

“Does student council even do anything?” asked junior Fiona Conneely.

She raises the question of how effective the representation is of the student body.

“The students as a whole aren’t represented,” said Conneely.  “The goal [of student council] is to represent [the students].”

If it’s the job to represent the students as an elected member, how do unfit candidates make it into student council?

Three students who aren’t on student council say that it is popularity that gets a person elected.

“It’s half those who are popular and half who actually care about student government,” said sophomore James McManus, who is on student council and would be unopposed to an open student council but is afraid it would over-expand.

“If anyone could join, then there would most likely be people that just join to put it on their college applications and not contribute anything,” said sophomore Blaise Russo, a non-student council member. “If there is a decision that comes down to just a few votes, those people may not take it seriously and just put whatever.”

“If students really feel that way, I would want them to take the elections more seriously and elect kids that really do represent them,” said Mrs. Francis. This appears to be the only solace she can give to the students who feel unrepresented.

So like the people of France, could the student body change student council to a better and more fair system? Let’s leave the guillotine and cake out of changing student council but the functioning, fair and unbiased government in.