By Jaylynn Donaldson ’25
Every year, Derby High School fills its hallways with posters of students running for positions in the student council. Students are welcome to run for the student council board, class representatives, or a participating student council member. Derby High School held its student council election for the 2023-2024 school year from September to October.
A lot of choices finalized are made by the student body. This year’s president of the student council Jessica Gerkens ‘24 explains, “The process involves a lot of gaining student input like meetings, doing surveys and asking students on what they want to see in the school and then putting that into action.”.
Students who are looking into making a change for their school and community are encouraged to run for student council. The perspective of the student council is that whether a student is the president of the school or someone who wants to be a part of the student council body, their voice matters! Instructional coach Rebecca Bell and social studies teacher Spenser Butterworth run the Derby High School Student Council, and they believe that the student council is very important. Bell and Butterworth ensure that student elections are fair by making sure everyone is being respectful and not throwing each other’s campaign poster. They make sure everyone is being heard. Bell said, “I think it’s important for students to have the ability to use their voices to make a change in their school and I like that it’s open to everybody so nobody feels like they’re unheard.”
There are many qualities that a student needs to have in order to be on the student council and there is more expected from a student who wants to lead it. Bell says in order to be a good member of the student council, a student needs to have perspective so they can see others’ points of view and not just their own. and that you are willing to collaborate with others. Students have to be able to lead and encourage the rest of the students to participate and speak up.
Anastasia Stanis ‘24 ran for student council secretary for the 2023-2024 school year and won the position. Stanis shares how important student council is to her by stating, “Student council is important to me because I want to make sure everybody has a voice, and I feel like I’m a part of so many different friend groups so it’s like I feel like I have a very diverse group of people to look at for student voice.”
The Raider Press 