Freshman ASB campaigns were everywhere: students touted brightly colored signs through hallways, walked around campus at lunch yelling slogans, handed each other business cards and backpack tags and everything in between. Every day, two candidates stood in front of my English class and went on their routine spiel: “Vote for me,” they said, “and for her, for public relations, and them, for vice president.” Never had any of them (or the lunch campaigners, or the hallway signs) said why they should be voted for; they had never explained what they would do in office, if anything at all. They had promised hand sanitizer and merchandise, but never any service. 

It’s a popularity contest, of course: most of the student body could never affirm their voting choices with proper reasoning, and neither could they explain what exactly ASB does. When we are introduced to student government, in our first assembly or lunch meeting, we are told that it’s an organization of responsibility and advocacy, when the election process makes it seem far from that definition. In my opinion, the flaws of student government outnumber its benefits, and show students a flawed view of politics and elections.

To begin, ongoing issues and problems that the student body faces are never discussed during election season. In politics, issues and candidates’ stances on them are often what make or break a citizen’s vote. When it comes to the student government, however, issues are seldom mentioned: there are barely any metrics by which to rank candidates, barring popularity. 

The introduction of discussions based around campus-wide issues during elections would, hopefully, allow for a more informed voter base, and a more qualified group of officers. Some examples of ways to dismantle the idea of a popularity contest would be to discuss issues with club management and the rampant competitive climate that dominates AHS. But even in the one place where stances and views should be declared—the candidate statements—the only benefits claimed or promises made are rehashed promises for “fun activities” and student representation, found throughout the document, as well as lists of generic qualities that tell a voter nothing of substance. Even a qualified candidate, one with firm views and qualifications, would not have a way to get their point across, as the discussion of student problems and ASB’s role in mending them is, essentially, nonexistent.

In addition, student government may seem trivial, but I believe that it does influence the attitudes and actions of students in their future. Most of us are U.S. citizens and, when we turn 18, will have the opportunity and responsibility to vote for government officials. While it may seem like people have the ability to separate student government elections from nationwide ones, ignorant (and irrational) voters are a problem in the system. I believe that while ASB could be a great way to introduce students to elections and campaigning, the implementation of the current system is one that hurts more than it helps. According to students that I’ve spoken to, it’s a common belief that there is no point in voting during elections, as your votes never seem to sway an election, as well as because of the lack of favorable candidates.

“I think that ASB has just boiled down to a popularity contest,” said freshman Xavier Li. “There is no logic included; people don’t think logically about who they’re voting for, and I don’t think my vote makes much of a difference, as everyone else ends up voting for those who are popular.” 

This is far from the attitude that students should be learning, as is the idea that candidates that should be picked are the ones that are the kindest, the funniest, or the most popular, one that is very common among the student body. It’s true that adult citizens employ similar thinking while picking political candidates, and ASB often reinforces that more than it should.

I also talked to freshman ASB president Amber Cheung about her experience while campaigning and her views on this issue:

Dhruti: What factors do you think influenced voters to elect you into office?

Amber: Definitely in-person campaigning helped, and we had posters that our friends carried around. Definitely making a good first impression, since we came from different middle schools, making a good impression definitely allows people to get to know you.

Dhruti: Do you think any improvements could be made to the campaigning process?

Amber: I think that maybe a speech would be nice, because it’s hard when you don’t have classes with everyone and you have to go around at lunch. It makes an influence, but not as big of an influence as a speech would make. I think that a speech would allow you to show more of your personality and show what you could bring to the table.

Dhruti: In your own words, what kind of an impact do you think ASB members can make at AHS? What issues, subjects, or events will you be focusing on while in office?

Amber: ASB, we plan all the spirit days and weeks at Arcadia High. We also plan big events like Homecoming and football games. We definitely make a big impact because we plan all the events for the grades. 

To conclude, while the ASB system has the unique opportunity to give students an insight into the world of politics and government, and allow students to take part in a voter’s experience, it does not do much to further the values or education of students in this field. While it could be a great opportunity to give students responsibility and the ability to take initiative, the race has turned into one based heavily on popularity, and elections mirror the actions of ignorant voters, which is something that should be avoided. As AHS students will soon be the voters and citizens that make the country’s decisions, ASB should not amplify these views.

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