Youth from every quarter is one of Andover’s signature mottos and the phrase that drew me closer to the school after I was accepted. The ability to reach beyond our comfort zones to meet people whose cultural values aren’t necessarily the same as ours is a priceless opportunity in today’s globalized world. “Youth from every quarter” implies that while separated by many factors, such as race, class, sexuality and of course, gender, Andover students can set aside their differences to work together and learn together in one academic environment. As many have noted, however, there is a stark absence of female leadership in student government. This has already set off a heated debate. This debate, however, ignores the simple heart of the matter: at a co-educational school like Andover, we need male and female co-presidents to lead our male and female student body. This election isn’t just about opportunities for women. The student council, as per the Blue Book, works “to address school-wide issues and proposals.” How can we have a student council that does not understand the issues that half of the student body faces? Socially and intellectually, girls face an entirely different world than do boys of the same age. This is in part because girls are at different stages in development, but also because of the different societal expectations placed on girls opposed to boys. On a fundamental level, the student body is one denomination: hardworking, determined Andover students. But beyond that, there will always be differences that separate us, both to our benefit and detriment. And different demographics simply have different needs, particularly when it comes to gender. In an article from The Phillipian from February 9, 2012, Carlos Hoyt, Associate Dean of Students, suggested that if the school were to implement a system of co-presidents, it should consider having one of each gender. Now that we will have co-presidents, we can see just how foresighted Mr. Hoyt’s comments were. Of the two candidate pairs for next year’s student council presidents, only one, Clark Perkins ’14 and Junius Williams ’14, consists of two people of the same gender. I would not expect many of the boys at this school to understand the nuances of being a teenage girl, nor would I think it fair for them to expect the same of me regarding being a teenage boy. I would like a representative who understands the unique “girl problems” that I face and someone who will be able to do something about it. One might say that the president of Student Council does not need to concern himself with the needs of each individual. After all, it isn’t the president’s job to make sure that the women’s bathrooms are properly stocked with tampons. It is important that larger issues are brought up and thoroughly discussed among community leaders, including questions of female leadership and female stigmatization on campus that have recently come under wider scrutiny. These are issues that affect us all, male or female, and it is the president’s role to lead discussion in the community towards productive and progressive ends. While Perkins and Williams are nothing less than fantastic candidates, perhaps student representation is best characterized by a male-female co-presidential pair. Lily Grossbard is a new Lower from New York, NY.
