Casting the Ballot
By Avery P.
Election by DeluXe-PiX from Getty Images Created in Canva
NorthStar Academy’s student council elections are now open, and the time to vote is just around the corner. Who will be the next student council president? vice president? Well, only time will tell, but for now let's introduce some of the students that are running, and what position they are running for. Our nominees are Hallie who is running for secretary, Zoe B. who is running for vice president, Eliana who is running for middle school representative, and finally, Jihye and Samara who are running for co middle school representative.
The most important thing in an election is what a candidate is going to do when he or she is elected. People may vote differently if they do not like even one policy a candidate is promoting. The Navigator is here to provide what each candidate wants to accomplish when they get elected. Hallie said “My primary goals are to support and help my teammates, so they can serve our community better! The secretary position (from my understanding) primarily works within student council.” She will work closely with the president and vice president to serve the NSA community well! Moving on, Zoe B. is running for vice president of StuCo. Her primary goal is, “to bring more Spiritual Life into NSA, to improve the communication between StuCo and the student body, and to bring new ideas to StuCo, and not just follow the same traditions of each year.” In conclusion, these two candidates are striving to support the students of NorthStar Academy.
Candidates that get elected to a new position add a new element to the StuCo. Every president, senator, governor, etc. has changed something and added something to their respected area of work. That applies to the NSA candidates as well. When interviewed Eliana said that she wanted to add more ways for middle school students to interact. A few of her ideas include maybe “adding a fun weekly challenge, maybe a few biblical-related challenges or a weird yet fun challenge, or it means hosting more calls then usual.” Her goal is to engage students in the fun and crazy Microsoft Teams. Moving on to the other middle school representatives, Jihye says that she wants to, “start a ‘Spotlight Series’ in the newsletter or announcements where students can shout out classmates, share cool projects, or highlight achievements—whether it’s in academics, the arts, or just being kind. It’s a fun way to celebrate each other!” The middle school representative candidates want to implement more areas where their classmates can interact and get to know each other better!
In addition to candidates adding fresh ideas to their position, they often change things. It is no different for student council elections. While some students said that they would not change anything about their position, some students said otherwise. Middle School Representative Samara said this about change within the middle school community– “If I could change one thing, it would be finding more ways for students to connect and feel involved outside of class time. I’d love to help create a more encouraging and welcoming space on Teams where students can share ideas, celebrate each other, and feel like their voices matter. It’s the small things that can really help build a stronger, more joyful school community.” As one can tell, connecting students is a priority NSA students deeply care about. Jihye wrote something a bit different. She is quoted saying, “I’d like to improve how student suggestions are collected and used. Maybe we could create a digital form or a ‘Suggestion Station’ where students can easily share ideas anytime and know they’re being considered.” To close, many of the candidates want to better how NSA students connect and interact.
In conclusion, these representatives want only the best for the students of NSA. What they hope to accomplish will only better the school and their classmates they interact with on a daily basis. As the time to vote comes closer, take into account who will improve the student experience at NorthStar. In the end, it will not matter who ends up in what position, and every candidate's goal is to engage and improve interactions between students.
Columns: 🔎Informational, 🎉NSA Events, 👤NSA People
Avery P. lives in Tennessee with her parents and three siblings. She has been a student at NorthStar for three years. This is her second year writing for the Navigator. After high school, Avery plans to attend college and earn a degree in education.