The Board of Education has asked the school for student representatives to attend their meetings. The Young Democrats, Young Republicans, and Student Council will each nominate two candidates, and from that group two representatives will be elected to attend Board of Education meetings in order to have the student voice better heard in their decisions. The Board of Ed. essentially feels that they need better interaction with students, and they feel that having students attend their meetings will open a door to better communication, as well as get them student input on decisions that would directly affect them. “The purpose of having a Student Representative to the Board of Education is to bring a needed perspective to the decision making process regarding public education in Wethersfield. Students are the people that are most affected by Boards of Education,” says senior of Young Democrats candidate Casey Lilley. “If I am elected to be the Student Representative it would be my goal to make sure that every decision that the Board of Education makes is in the best interest of the student body.”

“This student Representative spot on the Board of Ed. is a great way for high school students to learn about politics and get experience working in politics,” said Young Republicans nominee Zack Francis.

For example, the Board of Ed will likely differ to student representatives when renovating the high school auditorium. “Students have been misrepresented for a while, and I think that this is a good opportunity for the students' voice to be heard,” says senior and student council president Matt Burke.

However, the question of whether or not these student representatives are actually worthwhile still remains to be unanswered. They will have no voting power, and it is uncertain whether or not the Board of Ed. will actually listen to them, or have just asked for students to attend meetings for publicity, making it seem as if they care what students’ opinions are. Lilley believes they will listen. “No matter how empathetic a person is,” says Lilley, “it is nearly impossible to truly foresee the results of a BOE decision unless you are a student that's going to be affected by it, and I believe that the experience I have in local politics and organizing and the passion I have for making positive changes in our community would enable me to effectively convey the feelings of the WHS student body to the Board of Education.”
Either way, it is impossible to predict what the intentions of the Board of Education are, and right now it is comforting to think that people in higher positions of power are taking interest to the opinions of students. Some students even think of it as a way to finally accomplish things that the administration has blocked. “I feel that the administration has lost their desire and passion for maintaining the student environment,” says one senior student wishing to remain unnamed. “They don’t seem willing or eager to make the school a more spirited and enjoyable place for students.”

The second Young Democrats candidate is Victoria Borkowski, the two Young Republican candidates are Zack Francis and Joe Bruno, and the two student council candidates are Jackie DeBarge and Corinne Balesano. Each candidate will campaign this month, with a vote also scheduled for this month. The candidate with the highest votes received will become the Student Representative, while the candidate with the second most votes will be the alternate candidate. These elected students will be representing all of their peers in the high school student body, and it is an extremely positive thought that the people in higher power care enough about the student opinion to finally be asking for their voice.