The Problem with Class Rep Elections

By NIKHIL PANDE ‘21

Sitting in the seventh row of King Theater on “Community Engagement Day,” I listened to speeches from fifteen different candidates. They told me who they were, why they wanted to be a rep, and what they would do during their term. But as I reflected on all fifteen speeches, I realized one thing: they all said the same thing. Every candidate’s speech promised to fix the problems that have plagued Milton for years. Even without speeches or a Q&A, I would have still voted for the same candidates. The hard truth is that class representatives don’t have enough power to change debatable rules. In fact, this lack of power shapes the entire landscape of the election. Since their propositions for change have little chance of being executed, class representatives should shift the focus of elections away from the legislative platform of the candidates and toward the candidates’ character and ability to act as  role models for the grade.

On Class Election Day, the grade split up into pods of 8-10 people discussing various issues within our community. At the end of this discussion, we came up with one potential Q&A question that would have remained immune to cliché answers: an ethical scenario. We were going to ask the candidates what they would do if they caught fellow classmates vaping or Juuling in the bathroom. This question would not allow candidates to simply repeat what everyone else has said. Instead, it would force them to think about their own values and present it in front of both students and teachers. One must consult one’s own, unique moral compass in deciding between ‘snitching’ or covering up a friend’s wrongdoing.

Some would argue that the candidates’ actions in this scenario are irrelevant to their roles as class representatives. However, the class representative takes on an important role in many morning meetings by standing in front of the grade to plan and run the class assembly. We, the voters, know that the candidates want to fix common problems at Milton, such as the workload or assembly cuts, but we haven’t been properly introduced to their character. Since these reps act as role models for 180 students, their character is the most important aspect of their candidacy. Given the class reps’ distinctive role, the ethical scenario posed in our question illustrated the moral compass of the candidates.

Instead of the current misguided, irrelevant process, the class rep elections should focus on the candidates as people. When voting, I am forced to put my faith in someone who will both lead and represent me, and understanding how a candidate tackles a challenging scenario allows me to better understand the candidate’s morals and how they will act when representing me. More focus on this aspect of a candidacy will help students elect a thoughtful candidate who deserves the position of class representative.