There is no doubt that the student council plays a vital role in what many call "the high school experience." Without it, there would be no prom, no junior varieties, no fundraisers and so much more. Considering Malden High School’s large student body, there will always be students that are more than willing to be part of the student council or have leadership roles. However, what if there is not an advisor?
Every student council needs an advisor, being a staff member that supports the council in any events they want to hold, any fundraisers, and simply advises. Another part of being a class advisor is conducting the class elections and gathering your student government.
A class advisor typically takes on the role in 9th grade, and class elections occur that year. However, both the freshmen class and sophomore class are without an advisor.
Sophomore Alyssa Chung voiced her concern about the open position: “it both surprises me and worries me, as there’s a possibility that we may miss out on fundraising and won’t be able to hold events.”
This topic has not gained a lot of traction among the student body, as Sophomore Isabella Matos stated that she hadn’t got word about what a class advisor was. Chung also mentioned that she didn't even know that her class was lacking an advisor in the first place, noting that “it’s not something that's typically talked about.”
School Counselor and Class Advisor for the Class of 2020 Caitlin Quinn mentioned that “there is a lot of time commitment that goes into it to make sure the class has enough time to fundraise and plan successful events that make a little money while also having fun.” She later stated, “it’s a double-edged sword, you have to have the time in order to commit to being a class advisor, and you have to have the time, looking ahead, for potentially four years. It can be difficult for someone to agree to be a class advisor, from a staff’s perspective, because you just aren’t sure if you’d be able to commit that time.”
The Class of 2020 was one of the only senior classes to not be able to have a prom and other routine events due to the pandemic. She expressed, “It was all a little different than expected.” However, she enjoyed it greatly. She mentioned that she had “a really good group of students, and really let them take charge.”
When facing the issue at hand, Quinn explained something that may help get more staff members to be willing to take on the role. She explained that the role at the moment is too daunting, and suggested that the school lessen the commitments. More specifically, she recommended that the school open the position for just one year, rather than four. At the end of the year, the faculty member that took it on could either choose to stick with the role or reopen the position.
“I think a lot of staff would be really gung-ho on helping the 9th-grade class get started, but might not be ready for the commitments as it gets more and more difficult in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade,” she said.
