Student Government is not what you thought it was. With elections just around the corner, our emails and Instagram feeds are being flooded with campaign material. But many CRLS students, when asked, are unsure of how to join. While most people assume that you have to be elected in order to be an active member of Student Gov, that’s actually not the case. Student Gov at CRLS develops and executes initiatives within the school community that represent student ideas. They also plan many CRLS events such as Prom and Homecoming. Recently, the club has operated through a subcommittee structure for specific events, such as Nest Fest and the Talent Show. Elaine Wen ’24 told the Register Forum, “We don’t want people to feel like you are required to win an election or receive the most amount of votes to be a part of it … because that is not indicative at all of the representation we require in order to have an accurate and representative student voice.” This means that it’s beneficial to have a diverse range of students participate in Student Government. It matters because it makes Student Government more representative of the actual student body.
As with anything, joining the club without a clear job can be intimidating. Wen gave her advice to upcoming students on her last day in the building, saying, “I would say just jump into whatever subcommittee interests you … I promise you there’s always more work to do.” Ms. Williams-Giordano (Ms. G), the Student Government advisor, echoes that sentiment, saying that students are welcome to “come to meetings, help with events, and share feedback with elected members.” The Register Forum’s own Abigail Habtehans ’25 was one such student, coming on and off to meetings this past year. Recently, she’s been campaigning for the position of Senior Class President. As a non-elected student, she seemed to have a net-positive experience, saying, “I really liked the environment socially … I felt like it was really warm and welcoming. Even if you didn’t have a position, you could still participate, engage and plan.” This shows the warm environment that Student Government offers to all students.
According to the campaign videos of students running for Student Body Executive Officers and Junior and Senior Officers, one of the common threads is the hope that every student’s voice is heard. This proves Student Government’s commitment to the student body—and it’s incredible to see. One of the ways this can be achieved is by having a more diverse body of students that participate in club. But running a campaign means putting in time, effort, and resources that not all students have in order to get the votes they need. That’s why it’s important to know that Student Government is an open space for anyone to participate in with or without being elected. That being said, both Habtehans and Wen have acknowledged that at times, the club can be dominated by only a few people, and operate under a hierarchical system. As student government elections are fast approaching, now could be the perfect time to get more people involved in the club and advocate for more systematic change.
