After a week of not-so-hectic midterms (thanks to Mr. Palfrey, the eponymous creator of Palfday), the regular humdrum atmosphere of Andover has returned. Students have now begun to turn their collective attention towards finishing off the term in equal amounts of style and finesse.
However, the life unobserved is not worth living, and it is imperative that we did not just accept this Friday off without asking (at least eventually) the all-important question: why? In the words of Mr. Palfrey, this day was for the faculty and administration “to have a community discussion about how governance and decision-making takes place at PA.”
In that vein, I believe that it is high time that the students of this fine establishment take some power into their own hands and begin a conversation about student governance and leadership at Andover.
One of our main goals this year in Student Council is to review the current system for student governance and, with the help of Ms. Sykes and other community members, to address any issues that we encounter.
The Student Council has already had a few discussions on the issue and we have determined that it is a difficult task to tackle. I must reiterate that this conversation is not only important for the Student Council, but it is also important to all members of the Andover community if they are to have an effective voice.
I ask you all to consider pressing questions such as: Is the current system of student leadership (not limited to Student Council) the most effective it could be? If not, what is the most effective means of student governance? Does the Student Council accurately reflect the student population? Are the concerns of all students represented? Are the needs of the students met by the Student Council? Is the Student Council a group that tries to push forth a student agenda? Is it a group that looks out for the students and provides communal support? Is it all of the above or none at all? Whatever the answers may be, we are optimistic that they lie in our many shared discussions to come.
As always, be not afraid to reach out to me at hkaul@andover.edu with any concerns you may or may not have about anything and everything or nothing at all.
Best,
Hemang Kaul ’13
School President
