“If you come to my small group, we can leave early,” my friend, a Small Group Leader, said as we exited our class before Student Government. In all honesty, I took up this offer, not because I had a pressing homework assignment or test I needed to study for, but because I have never felt that Small Groups lead to productive, fruitful conversations.
Small Groups are a great idea: they are an open forum for students to express their views on a plethora of topics, a way for students to have a voice without announcing their views to the whole student body, and a vehicle for students to communicate directly with the administration. However, as the expectation for Small Groups becomes distant from reality, we need to take a deeper look into Small Groups: are they really worth our time?
In my eyes, the answer is a harsh, 100% certain no. For so many reasons, small groups is an ineffective way to communicate the student body’s opinions and wants to the administration.
One main issue in Small Groups is the inconsistency in the number of participants in each room. While some rooms are filled to maximum capacity because of the captivating topics, others with less engaging topics are left nearly empty, filled only with the students who initially went to overcrowded rooms. While certain rooms are filled with awkward silence and three word comments, other rooms are buzzing with the sounds of participants being productive and enthusiastic. The absence of loud, passionate voices occupying every room demonstrates how Small Groups isn’t attracting students who are eager to voice their opinion and make change.
To the student body, some Small Groups topics are much more intriguing than others. For example, a student who is passionate about politics in Parker or has a specific experience with an issue will be drawn to a more personal topic. Some topics, however, are extremely one-note, with only one topic or point to bring up, and having a discussion can feel like beating a dead horse. From asking the same question over and over, to looking for one word responses from participants, the conversations in some Small Groups are bound to die and leave participants feeling eager to be dismissed.
Small Groups is an idea and philosophy that aligns directly with the mission and goals of our Student Government democracy. However, the execution of Small Groups needs to be altered so that the open-forum-format can lead to constructive discussion and debate with more than one person contributing to a discussion.
Instead of a group of different topics, Small Groups should focus on one broad topic, with different rooms covering more specific aspects of said topic. For example, when small groups was focused on the Reproductive Justice Club’s condom proposal, students who might not have shared their opinions in plenary due to fear of judgment were able to share their views in a smaller setting. Discussing one topic across the whole Upper School with many notes and dimensions leads to a more fruitful and engaging discussion. The discussion of one controversial and multi-faceted topic leads to a deeper and more important conversation—one that can genuinely make an impact in the administration instead of just being skimmed through and disregarded.
Without a doubt, the idea of Small Groups is an amazing way for students to vocalize their opinions and hopes and make steps towards change. However, the whole Student Government needs to put in a more thoughtful effort to ensure that conversations thrive and don’t constantly fall flat. Small Groups shows that as a student body, we are constantly working towards progressing and maintaining our democracy. To truly maintain our democratic ideals, we need to further examine Small Groups and make sure they are really serving their intended purpose: giving all students an opportunity to be vocal on something they are actually passionate about.
