“I think it was just finally time for a change to happen,” said Harper Simpson, 2013-2014 SA Board president. “I think it has been in the process or been talked about for a very long time.”
Michael Tarjan, assistant principal for Student Activities, said the new policy had been in discussion years prior to this past election.
“Two years ago…we let the kids [in leadership programs with class boards] do small group think tanks and present to the larger group and show what they felt Student Association was about and what kind of eligibility you should have, [and] what kind of responsibilities you have once you’re on Student Association,” said Tarjan. “So it was not just adults, but it was also students who were part of the conversation.”
As of now, Tarjan said no exceptions to the policy will be made for current sophomores who plan to run for SA Board. Junior Ryan Goldsher, who was elected as president for the 2014-2015 SA Board, thinks the strictness of the policy is unfair to sophomores.
“There was a lack of thoughtfulness put into the process considering that sophomores currently, that haven’t had any [class] board experience, are now deemed ineligible without their knowledge,” Goldsher said.
Simpson was on class board for her sophomore and junior years before becoming president of the 2013-2014 SA Board. Simpson said her years on class board helped her understand the leadership role and responsibilities that come with being on SA Board. Activities such as organizing the homecoming decorations allowed Simpson “to get an inside peak and work with Tarjan before [she] was on SA Board.” This experience was invaluable, Simpson said, for her SA Board endeavors.
Katie Jones, Senior Class Board co-sponsor, said “the new policy is going to be a valued change in the direction of GBN’s student leadership.”
According to Jones, the policy change will have a positive impact on the school as a whole.
“I think that [the current policy] is unfair to the many leaders in the school who have put themselves on [class board] three years in a row, [who] have dedicated a lot of their time and efforts to GBN and yet are not given the opportunity to lead on a bigger level,” Jones said.
Junior Jimmy Irving said he opposes the policy. Having never been on class board himself, Irving was elected as vice president for the coming 2014-2015 SA Board. Irving believes the entire junior class should have a chance to run for SA Board, not just those that have been on class board.
Irving said he feels the leadership experience that comes from being on class board can be replicated through participation in other activities.
“I don’t think class board is the ‘end-all be-all,’” said Irving. “I think it’s up to the voters to evaluate each candidate and make their decision based on everything [that candidate has] been involved in.”
Irving also said the new policy puts a lot of pressure on underclassmen to make the decision to be on class board early in their high school careers.
“It would make students decide whether or not they want to run for SA Board before their sophomore year, which I think is way too early for that decision because a lot can change in those two years,” Irving said.
Simpson also sees some fault in the two-year class board policy because the new rule might deter students who are not mature enough to join class board as a sophomore.
“I think it’s important that it’s two years because I was too scared to [join class board] freshman year, but I got the guts to do it sophomore and junior year,” said Simpson. “I think…one downfall is that not everyone is mature enough to be on board until they are a senior or junior and they might miss out on that early on.”