The election for student representative is coming up the second week of April, with campaign week beginning March 9. The student rep is the link between District 202 administration and the student body, advocating for changes that reflect the needs of the school.
According to current student rep, senior Eva Hansen, the student rep is responsible for ensuring that the student body is accurately represented and heard.
“The biggest responsibility is going to board meetings and delivering reports every month,” said Hansen. “You also run the Student Union. They meet once a week and you have to plan those meetings.”
Hansen urges students considering running or wondering how to allocate their vote to understand that all of these responsibilities require a time commitment and high level of organization.
“Anyone running for Student Rep should really consider their time,” said Hansen. “Learning to manage my time and the things I care about has really been something I’ve learned this year.”
In addition to the time commitment, there are many other responsibilities potential candidates should consider.
“Think about your motivations for doing this,” said Hansen. “Are you doing it because you really care about politics and government or are you just trying to build your resume?”
Even for a dedicated leader, the role can come with a significant learning curve. For a school with almost four thousand students, any leadership role, let alone student rep, will come with new experiences.
“I’ve learned a lot about public speaking,” said Hansen. “I’d never given a speech to nine hundred students before, and then on the first day, I was giving a speech to all of the freshmen. Now, every month I’m delivering a report to the board, and I’m comfortable doing it.”
Throughout her candidacy, Hansen has reached many of her goals. The Green New Deal, a student-led initiative supported by E-Town Sunrise, has been a focus aimed at implementing sustainability programs throughout the school.
“One of my main goals was getting the vending machines open during passing periods and that happened,” said Hansen. “We’re keeping up with the Green New Deal and we’re on track to be net zero.”
Despite achieving these goals, Hansen knows there is more to be done.
“I wanted to encourage racial equality in AP classes,” said Hansen. “That is a difficult issue that I cannot solve on my own in one year, but through teamASAP, it’s being talked about, and that is the first step.”
According to Hansen, student rep is a fulfilling role.
“I want to go into government and law, and I feel like this has been a really wonderful experience,” said Hansen. “It’s been a great way for me to see that world and what I want to do with my life.”
With the conclusion of petition week from March 3-11, student rep candidates turned in applications and petition signatures and started campaigning March 12-16. Students will gain access to the voting portal later this spring to cast their vote for student rep.
