Commentary

A Reflection on Cluster Elections

No one could have known that it was an election week.?? Monday and Tuesday came and went with no aggressive tactics,?shameless swag or clever posters of the kind that characterized the lengthy campaigns for Student Body President. There was no undercurrent of ?excited anticipation rippling across campus, sparked by the promises or provocative words of candidates, no debates. Instead, on Wednesday, students calmly and quietly crossed paths as ?they headed to separate meetings in the cool air of an early New ?England spring – meetings at which they would determine next year’s ?Cluster President, Senior Representative, Disciplinary Committee ?Representative, Social Functions Head and Day Student Representative.?? Many of these meetings ended early. In most clusters, students ran uncontested in one or more categories. ?In some cases, cluster deans had to send out emails inviting, almost?pleading with students to run, because no one expressed interest?before the deadline. Clearly, few students felt inspired to pursue?these leadership positions.?? One reason for the seemingly widespread apathy about Cluster Council ?is a perceived lack of power or influence. Cluster President, Social ?Functions Head, class and day student representatives on the whole take little ?action and make few changes that are visible to the school community ?at large, with the exception of ordering cluster apparel and ?organizing cluster events. DC Representatives, on the other hand, help ?students get through what is most often the most difficult experience ?of their lives at Phillips Academy. Yet they are still visible only to the few students who ultimately sit before a discipline committee during their time at PA. There was a time when members of Cluster Council truly spoke on behalf ?of the students and took responsibility for the spirit of the cluster. ?But today, cluster identity is rapidly disappearing – from the ?controversial downfall of cluster sports to the new process of ?selecting Blue Key Heads, which transcends clusters in hopes of achieving a school identity. However, it is possible to encourage the classic prep school rivalry of cluster divisions while maintaining school pride. For this reason, and in light of recent events, the newly elected members of the five Cluster Councils?should take their new positions to heart and not settle for being ?figureheads or poster children, model “student leaders” in name alone. There are ways for Cluster Presidents to restore the friendly rivalry between clusters – competing for the best munches, encouraging and cheering for members of one’s cluster (not just one’s dorm) at school events, breaking out the cluster sweatshirts early and wearing them often. And, in this spirit, Phillips Academy should reconsider permanently ending cluster sports. Finally, The Phillipian would even propose a Cluster Cup, in which students could win points on behalf of their cluster for their achievements, with the winning cluster announced at the end of the year. Similar to the Green Cup Challenge, the points could be publicly displayed to encourage competition. For some, the routine elections may have been just another way to fill glaring blank space on a college application or résumé, but it isn’t too late for cluster pride to resurface and infuse the atmosphere of the school.?? If the election process was apathetic, empty of meaning, a hollow?tradition – in a word, stagnant –, then it is up to the winners of the ?election to turn the five Cluster Councils into active bodies with a presence ?on campus. Otherwise, clusters will become nothing more than the places we live.?