It is the eternal question at Old Rochester Regional High School: what is the difference between Student Government and Student Council, the two organizations for which there are annual spring elections? And, for that matter, what are the duties of each?
Sophomore Class President Ruhi Raje, who is a member of both organizations, said that the difference lies in whom the organizations serve.
“Each grade has a Student Government responsible for raising money and organizing class events such as Junior Semi and Senior Prom. Student Council is responsible for the planning and organization of events for the whole school, like Homecoming,” Raje said.
She added that Class Presidents and Class Vice-Presidents are automatically granted positions on Student Council, although the remaining seats are filled by school-wide elections.
In late winter and early spring this year, both the Student Council and the Sophomore Student Government were hard at work planning school dances and festivities. The Sophomore Student Government prepared a Masquerade Dance for January 21, which was regrettably canceled due to lack of interest from the student body.
School dances are canceled when the ticket sales are extremely low, since the organization holding the dance has to make enough money to pay the disc jockey. Raje said that she and her fellow officers originally decided to have a Masquerade-themed dance because “we thought it would spark interest.”
They found support for their judgment in the success of the first Masquerade Dance, which was held the year before. The original Masquerade Dance served as a replacement for what upperclassmen will recall as the Snow Ball. he Sophomore Student Government was hoping to make $100 after the expenses for the dance.
Yet the Sophomore Student Government wasn’t alone in having trouble with ticket sales. The Student Council made plans for a Spring Fling that would have been held March 17 had there been sufficient ticket sales.
“The ticket price was $5 the first week and $6 the second,” Raje said. She explained that the Student Council’s intent to hold a school dance was to fundraise for charity, since “the Student Council donates a large amount of money.” Sometimes these funds go to school clubs, other times to charity.
Raje said she isn’t sure why students at ORR High School seem uninterested in late winter or early spring dances, considering the interest that the Homecoming Dance, Junior Semi and Senior Prom receive.
“Sometimes all it takes is one person to say, ‘I’m not going,’ for a whole group of people to lose interest,” Raje explained.
Students were interested in having some sort of spring festivity, however. From March 13 to March 15, students participated in the first annual Class Olympics.
“The Class Olympics was very successful,” Raje said of the event. “Those who were interested represented their class in various events that ranged from athletic to informal to silly.”
The first day consisted of athletic events such as the popular gym class activity, Watusi. Speedball was also on the agenda, along with other sporty games.
On the second day, the participants had their pick of carnival games, including a pie-eating contest. The Class Olympics ended with traditional events on the third day, which included the high and long jump.
Raje had difficulty estimating the number of participants, although she did note that there was a higher turnout on the first and last days of the Class Olympics. She attributed this to the availability of the late buses on those afternoons. Raje also added that the Student Council looks to expand the Class Olympics in coming years, so underclassmen have a (popular) spring event to anticipate!
By Anne Smith