Power to the pupils: Students now running NC
Josh Hollis sits in the principal’s office, discussing the logistics of the incoming turnover of power within the administration. Running for senior class president, Hollis decided to take the position of Principal as a way to pack back the community that granted him the platform and status he flaunts. Hollis ran a campaign for Senior class president using his natural charm and leadership abilities.
April 1, 2019
Adults suck. They expect respect by virtue of “being older,” they never admit to their mistakes and think they rule the world. Sadly, the latter complaint, though certainly annoying, remains the truth. Every major position of power in the world, from the President to CEOs: all boring, old sourpusses.
The problems with NC’s admin can apply just as easily to any adult, so the incompetence remains uniform. With that said, the problems remain egregious: stringent rules, unqualified individuals, and seeming out of touch with the needs of students. Now it seems NC students (rightly) decided to take NC admin for themselves. Coinciding with senior elections, three students staged a coup to see who would take up key positions in the NC admin.
To start, senior Joshua Hollis will usurp Matthew Moody as principal. Hollis ran for senior class president in the elections, so it only makes sense he would strive for the most coveted position.
A poster used by the seniors, specifically future Principal Hollis, during their campaign for senior elections. The idea to stage this coup first emerged out of a simple discussion among the group and later blossomed into a full-on uprising. Though the students still hold both their senior class and administrative positions, an oversight committee will exist to ensure no one abuses their authority.
“When the other seniors and I decided to stage this kind of uprising, I thought ‘What better way to repay my debt than by being principal and helping everyone? That way, all their hopes, and a dream can true like mine,” Hollis explained.
To accomplish anything requiring such extensive work, Hollis needs a strong right hand to not only advise him but also to properly lead the school in any potential absence. Junior Janae Grey, current senior class vice president, seems poised to fill that position.
“Growing up, my sister would always say, ‘. You need to take any major leadership position you can because you have an obligation to help others with your skill’. Growing up, I never really understood that last part, and I still don’t think I do. But my sister gave me the confidence to run for senior VP now,” Grey revealed.
Incumbent Vice Principal Jenae Grey works in Mrs. Dixon’s office, writing up a document for her upcoming new job as Vice Principal. Initially running for and winning the position of senior class of 2020 Vice President, Grey decided to take the position of Vice Principal in the student siege in order to honor her older sister; this sister provides inspiration for Jenea in times of need, and actually motivated her to first seek out both leadership positions she now holds.
Though vice principal may seem like a filler slot, the job brings with it more responsibilities than one would expect. Aside from needing to lead in a principal’s stead, the vice principal also needs to handle disciplinary disputes, as well as supervise events. When asked on her plans, Grey revealed an approach to her role that solves student issues with the current admin’s approach to conduct.
“Well, my plan for student behavior isn’t going to be ‘you do this, so now you have 3 days ISS; instead I want to look at the context, and base my decisions on said context. So if one student hits another in self-defense, I’m going to account for that in the final report,” Janae argued.
Schools cost a large amount of money to operate. To that end, a financial officer needs a place in admin to ensure all money ends up where it should. Luckily, of the students who ran in the senior election, one already planned to become treasurer. Junior Ola Otis sought this position (both in admin and for the senior class) for reasons that can motivate her to do her best work.
Junior Ola Otis tallies money raised by the NC Chant during a fundraiser. Choosing to run as and take over the position of treasurer for both the senior class and school admin respectively, Otis chose her position due to a simple appreciation of money; Otis plans to ensure that none of the school’s money goes towards unneeded projects, but instead to sweeping infrastructure renovations.
“I think money is great, and so I wanted a job that’d allow me to always be around it. But more than that, being treasurer is a really important job, one perhaps even more so than the principal,” Ola detailed.
Though students running NC sounds great, not all find themselves on board with the notion, namely the adults. One can assume their discontent lies with losing their jobs, and to people far younger and less experienced. According to one former admin member, their issue lies with potential abuse of power.
“I think this sets a dangerous precedent for the structure of the school. For one, the students just took over and up and threw out all our stuff: the only reason we didn’t write them up was that all the forms for that got trashed. No one asked for them to take their positions, they just did; they only have them because they’re popular,” former Assistant Principal Matt Williams argued.
All in all, the youth admin seems set to make a strong first impression on the NC community. Taking up their posts on April 1st, the student-run admin, through a bold social experiment, found a way to whip up interest in kids as far as Harrison started petitioning for greater student involvement in their own administrations. Perhaps this signals a new age for schools wherein the role of students goes beyond simply experiencing changes, but now enacting them.
Happy April Fool’s, you fool!
XOXO
The Chant
