By Kathleen McAleese
Co-Editor-in-Chief

As high schoolers, I’m sure we have all come to the realization that our actions in the four years we spend at Westford Academy have consequences. Middle school, for some of us, is simply three years with messy hair parted down the middle and some questionable choices in style that some prefer to erase from their memory and I am thankful for one thing: high school and middle school are not the same.

As the two parts split into one, the presence of student government is yet another big change. Of course middle school has student government, but this Friday, freshmen will each take part in their very first class election in high school. In middle school, student government was more of a once a week type social gathering than anything else, but now, freshmen are sitting in the driver’s seat, and the individuals that the freshman class chooses may very well be the individuals leading the group out onto the field at their graduation in June, 2018.

I believe in the importance of student government. I believe that some of the greatest school events that have been able to be put on have been due to the devotion and hard work of both student council members, or class officers, and I admire and send thanks to the individuals who lead my class of 2015. The message that freshmen need to hear loud and clear is that in high school, student government is what can make or break some aspects of your high school career. Like all things, groups of people can function with more efficiency with effective leaders in charge.

Freshmen need to understand that the election on Friday is not a joke. Student government is not a joke, and the function of student government is a very powerful thing.

With events such as Spirit Week, including the Spirit Rally, Teacher Appreciation Week, and the Holiday Bazaar, as well as separate class fundraisers, the importance of having effective people in power is imperative.

With numerous individuals running for different spots in the election, I encourage you to practice voting with the regard that you will one day use in the “real-world” elections.

The votes cast on Friday should be out of honest consideration of the candidates running, for their job they will need to fulfill is an important one. Too often, I feel, students choose the candidate that is their friend, the one who is popular, the one who has an empty speech that cracks a couple jokes, but now, in an environment where student council and the leadership of your class is an important thing, vote for the people who will help your class.