On Dec. 5, the Student Advisory Council had their first meeting of the school year. This council, filled with 22 handpicked students, gives a small group of students a voice, while the rest of the student body’s opinions remain unheard.

While Scott Kasik was the principal, our school held Pizza, or Sundaes, with the Principal which was an opportunity for all students to come and discuss issues in the school. For some, the incentive to go may have been the food, others may have came with the purpose of changing the school, both had things to say. At these open lunches, students were able to be heard and have an active voice in their school. Prior to Kasik, the school had an advisory council similar to the one principal Janice Schwarze has introduced.

Teachers were asked to nominate one or more students who represent diversity in the school and would have interest in the program. This list of students was narrowed down further by Schwarze. The meetings are exclusive to those who have been selected.

Not all of the students in the school who have ideas for change are able to be included in the advisory council meetings. While the intent is to get a student who will best represent their peers and be most interested, there are still voices that are not heard. Teachers were given the option to choose one or more students, but it was not required. Teachers are not always aware who would be interested in attending these meetings, nor is it their responsibility to know. Although the administration is giving a wonderful opportunity to the students who have been accepted, they are depriving others the same liberty to change their school for the better.

A point was made to make sure all of the students are of different ages, genders, races, and are involved in different activities, but this does not guarantee that they will all have different views on how to better the school or even that they all will be interested.

Neither Pizza with the Principal nor the Student Advisory Council are the best options when trying to get the best people to improve the school. When Pizza with the Principal was the student body’s way of communication, students may have come for the free food and not for the right purposes.

If the school stopped providing food but continued allowing any students to attend the meeting, only the people who really had something to say, would come. If a student does not attend, but has something they want to change about the school, there are no grounds to complain because it is an open meeting.

Another option, of course, is to inform students about the council, and allow them to talk to their teachers about interest in joining instead of only allowing a few students nominated by each teacher to become a member, then reducing that number even more.

Every student who wants the opportunity to discuss issues in the school with the principal and help build a stronger community should be granted the ability to do so.

Editor’s Note: The editorial staff was divided on this opinion.