As of Thursday, September 5th, there were only two freshmen signed up to run for office. But by the time elections rolled around on Wednesday, September 11th, all 8 positions had been filled.

75% of the applications were passed in on the day they were due Friday, September 6th. Though ninth-graders were repeatedly reminded about the student government opportunities through freshman orientation and school-wide announcements, only one position was contested. Student body government advisor, Mrs. Borek confirmed that staff sent out reminders to the entire freshman class in an attempt to spark their interest in running. Additionally, the junior class government spoke to potential freshman candidates, encouraging them to take advantage of this opportunity. These combined efforts, however, were not as successful as they had hoped, as only 6% of the class ran for office.

Student body president Tom Kain was not surprised by the low numbers. He recalled his own freshman year, saying, “most of these kids don’t know who they are at the high school yet, so it’s hard to put yourself out there.”

Although he understood the hesitation towards running, he made clear his experiences as class president for the past three years have been nothing but valuable. Kain has been elected class president for the past three years, tasked with leading his class in planning activities, fundraising, and promoting participation by all class members. While he admits there are challenges such as the time commitment and the slightly inconvenient morning meetings, Kain argues the benefits each member gets from the position outweigh the negatives.

“It definitely gives you skills outside of the classroom more than any other activity will,” he said. “[This includes] the ability to communicate effectively with adults, whether it be talking on the phone or writing an email.”

While the concept of running for an officer position can seem like a lot of pressure, the commitment is merely a year-long conversation with fellow classmates. Kain pointed out that sometimes fundraisers can fall through, but the laid-back aspect of student government allows members to have a good time. For these reasons and more, Kain believes a strong class government is necessary for success. When asked why freshmen should care about their class government, he seemed to think the answer was obvious.

“If the question is why should you care about your class government, the question is why should you care about your class,” Kain stated.

Not only does a proactive student government raise the money to ensure events like prom and possibly offer other benefits (the class of 2019’s Six Flags trip, for example), but it also can create a sense of unity among the class.

Although it was a close call, the freshman class successfully filled all positions, both officers and representatives. Hopefully, the absence of competition among the candidates does not suggest a lack of spirit within the class of 2023. As they begin to establish their identities as young adults in high school, they will soon realize they have little to lose.

As Kain puts it, “What’s the worst that could happen?”