As we watch political leaders make decisions for our country and run for office, we observe one of the founding principles of the United States: democracy. Sion, though on a smaller scale, has democracy through the Student Council (STUCO), which is a school organization that gives each grade representation, leadership and the opportunity to make a change. At least in theory. In reality, STUCO can be seen as a planning committee rather than a true government.
Sion holds annual elections where each class casts their votes on which fellow students will represent the classes’ opinions. Once elected, STUCO meets every Wednesday morning for meetings that include discussion on upcoming events and how to increase student engagement. For example, Spirit Week themes are pitched and voted on by the council and carefully placed throughout the week.
STUCO also organizes our Sion dances (Winter Formal, Prom, and now Boo Bash). Members try to make these special events something everyone will enjoy and be excited to participate in. Dances are expensive and planning is extensive, so students need to rally numbers to make the events deemed successful.
Finally, fundraisers like the newly announced “Socktoberfest” are also planned by STUCO. The council convened to create initiative and involvement, through incentives like civvies days. The days that we have out-of-uniform or sweatshirt days are brought to the board by STUCO with a formal request. Fundraising updates announced at the end of the week are also totaled by members of STUCO.
What STUCO rarely does is make appeals to the administration. When new policies are announced, such as the change to the dress code banning shorts on Fridays, STUCO is usually not involved or consulted on such situations. To many students, this disparity between the planning and policy aspects of STUCO can make the duties of STUCO feel shallow.
When students are not encouraged to bring their concerns and ideas to the administration, the school can easily become stagnant. Additionally, the lack of space for elected leaders of classes to express the views of the wider student body can lead to individual students taking more harmful actions.
For example, last year the Senior classes’ complaints about faculty were inappropriate, resulting in a reprimanding email sent to the entire class.
None of this is to say STUCO is unimportant or trivial. The work of organizing all the events that take place in the school and creating skits and dances to hype students up takes hours of students’ time. However, STUCO is not enough. Students need a sanctioned way to address administration.
Nevertheless, the student council creates connections both in and out of Sion. Through the dances, spirit week and other events, the student council helps us bond with each other while simultaneously creating outreach opportunities like our relationship with Redemptorist. Even though the student council is not a true government and does not have the power some may wish, the members of STUCO complete vital work to create the events and entertainment that make the community of Sion legendary. Maybe the new academic council could help to fill in the gaps.
