Parker’s student government has every possibility to be one of the strongest parts of our school. Think about it: it’s predominantly student-run, every member of the upper school is involved, and its processes aren’t dissimilar to how the U.S. government is modeled. In theory, it’s perfect to introduce students to how the “real world” runs.
Even though this is a great idea, some students don’t believe that the Parker student government is all it can be. Some people believe that there’s too much interference by teachers and administrators, causing some upper schoolers to feel unable to make a change. With that in mind, there are also plenty of students who feel as though they do have space for their voices to be heard, and concluded that people see the value in what student government offers, but still see room for improvement. In order to better understand student perspectives on student government, I sat down with freshmen Nieva Kaeding Valentine and Tayler Brewer.
“I think the student government brings the community together and allows students to have more of a voice in a lot of things around the school,” Kaeding Valentine said. “It puts students in an environment where they can use their voices to have an impact, and prepares them for real-world situations where they’ll need to put their opinions out there.” Brewer was quick to agree with her point. “Student government prepares students for a possible career in government by giving them the platform with similar rules to participate in.” I definitely agree with them. Parker’s student government certainly provides a sort of “launch pad” for upper schoolers to get a feel of what they want to get out of their school and what it takes to achieve that. Not only can that build a sense of importance for what they have to say, but also prepare them for situations where they’ll need to express themselves in a space similar to student government, such as sharing ideas in a work setting.
We also discussed ways that Parker’s student government can be improved and where its flaws lie. “It could be shorter. That might make the process of getting what we want finished more efficient,” Valentine said. “A thirty-minute student session would be more concise, since most of the time, a lot of things get repeated. A shorter meeting would make it feel a lot more approachable. It can be hard to get the information you really need when things are just being said again and again, which takes up time,” Brewer said. During the conversation, I was able to see their perspectives. Sometimes, lengthy student government sessions can leave upper schoolers feeling unable to ask questions and bring up their opinions. In my opinion, those circumstances demonstrate how students see ways that it can be improved while also understanding what it can do for them.
Overall, I believe that student government has a lot of benefits for the Parker student body, from making people feel more comfortable and engaged in their community to preparing them for situations where they’ll have to speak up for what they believe and to be ready to experience differences in perspective. That being said, with shorter pitches, the program can leave room for students to marinate on ideas, allow more time for questions, and save time, which can only enhance the aforementioned benefits. Even though there are some flaws in the system, it’s an excellent concept with plenty of room to build up students and the school itself by preparing them for what will come in the future.
