By Benjamin Hong, Staff Writer
On April 26, the next generation of River Hill student leaders will be voted on by the student body, and candidates are already in the process of filling out their applications. River Hill grants students a voice via a school-wide election every year, allowing them to select the next year’s SGA Executive Board members. However, in contrast to previous years, the SGA sponsors this year have a larger goal in mind: setting a precedent for broader representation in student government.
The Executive Board has historically been staffed by outgoing and goal-driven members of the student body. However, the pandemic and the past few years as a whole have led the SGA sponsors to reconsider the types of students they will be looking for in the application stage. Katie Noecker, one of this year’s SGA sponsors, stated, “With the pandemic and everything it seems like the past two years had … the same faces on the SGA. Maybe not literally the same faces but the same types of kids have been a part of the SGA.” Noecker’s past experience as a class sponsor for the SGA (class of 2010) coupled with “a lot of new people applying, because quite a few seniors are leaving” makes the path as a sponsor clear for her. “We’ll be trying to make the SGA a little more well-rounded and pull kids from all student groups. We don’t want the resume builders, we want kids that actually want to work hard and bring new perspectives to the table.”
In order for these changes to be effectively implemented, however, candidacy must first be perceived as more appealing to students outside of the traditional mold of SGA participants. While the traits of the classic outgoing and spirited officer are to some degree necessitated by the nature of campaigning, Jessica Nichols, this year’s second SGA sponsor, is striving to make it clear that the SGA is a place for students of every make and model. She urges those who are considering candidacy to “take a chance on you. If you have a vision for the future of this school and our school community, take on the mantle of leadership.” She also implores those who may feel deterred by the intimidating barrier of entry to not “let the fear of failure stop you from trying to make successful change. … If the fear of failure is keeping you from trying, remember the words of Wayne Gretzky who said, ‘You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.’”
It is written in the SGA’s Constitution that the Executive Board’s duties include “assisting in the implementation of school improvement programs, promoting respect and academic integrity among the student body, promoting school spirit, [and] organizing service projects.” The phrasing of these duties is intentionally broad, allowing each year’s Board to independently determine exactly how these undertakings will be tackled every year, taking into account what is relevant to the student body and the experiences of the Board members. With this in mind, it is clear that if this year’s sponsors’ goals of increased diversity are successful, the approach of next year’s Executive Board, whatever it may be, will be an extraordinary one.