At Jesuit, there’s a common misconception that the Student Government elections are a popularity contest. However, this is far from the truth as student votes only account for 25% of the overall election process.
The Student Government election process starts with the candidate getting verified through their counselor, vice principal, and Mr. DeKlotz. Then, the candidate fills out an application and builds a resume, each counting for 25% of the total vote. The final 25% is teacher recommendation.
“I think that a lot of people think [Student Government elections] are based simply on popularity, but 25% of student votes doesn’t really get you all the way there. If you don’t have a good resume, you don’t have good goals, or other things like that, then you can’t really win. I’d honestly say teachers probably have more of a say than the student vote, so it’s a misconception that it’s a popularity contest,” sophomore Cecily O’Sullivan, who is running for class president, said.
ASB President candidate Pavley Kamel agrees, believing Jesuit makes sure the student chosen is the best one for the job.
“I think that Jesuit does a beautiful job of making sure that they’re searching for true, well rounded applicants that have been able to demonstrate that they can effectively ensure change,” he said.
In a candidate, Mrs. Lauren Lakey says they are looking for someone who embodies Jesuit’s mission.
“We look for somebody that’s welcoming, committed to doing justice, loving, and intellectually competent, so someone with the aspects of the Grad at Grad. If somebody in their application is really making a note of like, hey, I want to make sure that Jesuit’s a loving community, then that’s something that we really value and want to bring forth,” Lakey said.
While Student Government looks for strong leaders, it has also been able to make confident leaders out of students.
“I used to not have a lot of confidence when I was in elementary and middle school, and Student Government really helped me step out of my shell and be more confident. I want to use that confidence in the future to help other students who usually don’t feel a lot of confidence at Jesuit and struggle with talking to others and just use what I have learned to help make their voices heard,” junior ASB candidate Ella Vizireanu said.
At the end of the day, Student Government exists as a group of students having fun while working together to make Jesuit the best possible school.
“Just have fun in the process [of elections]. I think sometimes people will get a little defeated, maybe by results, but anybody can make a change, so a title doesn’t mean that you have more say or more power than anybody else. To anybody that’s running, I’m so grateful and thankful, and I think it’s the students that make the biggest change. Anybody in [Student Government] would tell you that the students are the ones with the ideas, and if you see change, it’s really coming from them,” Lakey said.
The ASB elections are Tuesday, April 21st. No matter the outcome, every vote counts toward making change and impacting Jesuit’s future.
