Student Government During a Pandemic

While this year is different than normal, one thing is consistent; Student Government is getting ready to start up again at the High School. Although it never actually stopped, as previously elected representatives have been meeting all throughout the quarantine. In addition to having representatives who served on the districts Reopening Task Force, the members of student government have been meeting in their own committees and making sure this year runs as smoothly for the students as possible.

The government is made up of two branches, the executive branch and the legislative branch. 

In the executive branch there are 2 representatives, the President (who must be a senior) also serves as the student representative to the Board of Education and the Vice President (who can be either a junior or a senior). The people in the executive branch are elected by the entire student body.

In the legislative branch there are 22 representatives, each grade level has senators that represent them to the government. There are 6 freshman senators, 6 sophomore senators, 5 junior senators, and 5 senior senators all elected by their respective classes. There are a total of 24 positions up for election.

This year, the election process is going to look a little different from previous years as the COVID-19 pandemic poses new challenges for the campaigning process and the actual election. 

Even with these unprecedented times, Mrs. Bruce is still very adamant about getting new candidates who would like to join and making sure every student is well represented. “The remote component is a huge change. We do want remote academy kids to know that they can definitely be involved in the SHSGA. They can run for office and vote in the elections. Also, our SHSGA meetings are conducted both face to face and remotely. Since about 25% (rough estimate) of our school population is remote this year, we need to make sure everyone’s voice is heard and that we all feel and stay connected to our school community.“

If you are deciding whether or not to run, know that it requires a full commitment and once elected you will serve for the whole year. “Members are responsible for attending meetings; advocating for their peers, school and community; serving on committees; and communicating with stakeholders about the status and future of our school”

If you are interested in running for student government be sure to look out for an email from Mrs. Bruce coming sometime this week. In the meantime you can view this PDF from Mrs. Bruce or talk to current student government members to see what it’s all about!

Hunter Tryloff

Hunter is a junior at Sweet Home High School. This is his third year with The Panther Eye and he currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief. He will primarily focus on growing The Panther Eye as an organization as well as authoring occasional articles. If interested in joining The Panther Eye team contact Hunter using the options below!!