With the gubernatorial elections taking place in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, many people seem to be excited about the debate between Democrat Wendy Davis and Republican Greg Abbott, the candidates running for the office of Texas State Governor. However, what people should really be concerned with are the freshman class elections, which Jesuit held this past Tuesday, October 28th, 2014.
So, who won? The ballots are in and the freshman class of 2018 chose Omar Dibba as Class President, Thomas Nolan as Class Vice-President, and Reid Hatzman as Class Representative. Congratulations to all. Each of the nine students running against each other demonstrated the desire and drive to warrant serving their class.
In order to run, each candidate is first required to submit a full two-page application filled with questions on why they feel they would make a good council member. Next, the students meet with Mr. Colin Hanley and Mr. T. J. Howard, the Student Council moderators, and talk to them about their goals for the organization. After all of these requirements have been met, the students are allowed to start their campaign. Traditionally, each candidate creates unique posters of varying shapes, sizes, and styles, and displays them throughout the school, advertising his candidacy in the upcoming elections. Like many other students, Senior Class President Jimmy Ackels ’15 said that his “favorite part [of freshman elections] is seeing all of the brilliant signs laid across the halls for the few days they’re up.” These posters bring out the artistic side of each student, albeit some are more talented than others.
While the signs were creative, campaigning restrictions limited the amount of verbiage a candidate could use, a policy that concerned some like freshman Luke Theivagt, who said, “I wish I would have known more about the candidates and what they stood for before the election, because only seeing the signs, ‘Vote for Joe’ made the elections seem more like a popularity contest. Overall, though, I was very impressed by how professional the voting process was with the booths and ballets.” Even with some criticism, the Student Council Freshmen Election received strong, positive responses from most students.
As we all know, our school’s motto is “Men For Others”, and Student Council works to instill this quality in the club’s members, helping them grow and develop the skills necessary to become leaders of fellow men. For those who do not know what Student Council is or what the club does, Junior Class Representative Michael Pontikes ’16 explained that “the Jesuit Student Council is in place to establish a link between the students and administration. Voted on by the students, the members of the council represent these students when it comes to places where student input is needed. The Student Council is mainly responsible for the planning and execution of student social events such as Homecoming, Prom and Class Elections. The Student Council also strives to make the student body heard in changes throughout the school.” With such a great mediator between the students and the faculty, everyone seems to have a voice, and hopefully, everyone feels that they can have a say in the matters that they think are most important.
Therefore, it is very important for students to make wise choices during the election, ensuring that a chosen candidate will be able to uphold the values of a Jesuit leader. Ackels elaborated on this idea, saying, “Because you elected them, you obviously expect the president, vice-president, and class representative to do their jobs and represent your class well; but they can only do so if you tell them what you want. Communication is the most important thing if you want these boys to succeed.” Thus, communication, a desire to make a difference, to improve things, and wanting to help others are key pillars that help support the betterment of Student Council and, ultimately, the success of the school on a student-based level. Sophomore Class President Beomhawk Lee ’17 agreed with Ackels in the idea that “as the voice of the students…. we must listen to the needs or suggestions of Jesuit students and try to improve our Jesuit community.” One way that Student Council connects with the voices of the student body is through the suggestion box, located near the top of the Jesuit Moodle homepage. At each Wednesday meeting, members of the Student Council review the messages and requests submitted, calling attention to any issues or concerns that the students hope members of Student Council can fix.
For the newly elected President, Vice-President, and Class Representative, Pontikes advises that the “elected freshmen are mostly learning what ‘Student Council’ is. Mistakes will be made, but it is far better to make them now than later in their Jesuit career, and although the freshmen may not do as much as the upperclassmen in the short term, they will eventually be better off when the time comes for them to lead their class.” Acting as the voice of the student body, Student Council teaches its members how to govern, molding them into future leaders.
