The beginning of the school year is often fast-paced and filled with activity, even more so this year due to Hurricane Harvey, which delayed the start date for schools in the Cypress area. While freshmen try to adjust to high school’s increased workload and expectations, seniors scramble to meet deadlines on college and scholarship applications. An event that manages to cut through the chaos and confusion of the beginning of school every time, however, is the election of class officers.

During this time of the year, candidates encourage students to vote through posters, speeches, and the promise of a better quality school life for the student body.

However, some are skeptical as to just how much power student officers truly have over improving the student experience.

“I feel like student officers are just faces,” senior Sandra Lynguyen said. “It seems like clubs do a better job at doing things to change our school experience in a positive way. I honestly haven’t heard about anything that the student officers have done for my class. My life at this school has always been the same.”

On the flip side, others appreciate the work that the officers put in to make events run smoothly every year.

“I think being a student officer is a great opportunity,” senior Raniyah Nathani said. “It enables students to contribute to the well-being of the student body and stand up for what they believe in.”

Being a student officer, however, is not just something that looks impressive on a resume; the title comes with a large amount of responsibility.

“Student council members organize events throughout the school year to help out in our community and bring awareness to certain topics. We also encourage students to become more involved and help them discover that their voice serves a purpose,” senior Linda Dearmas, who served as the secretary during the 2016-2017 school year, said. “Having student officers is very important; they take on the role of making sure that all goes smoothly and informing others of upcoming events. It is necessary to have people in charge to have a good school balance.”

No matter what your opinion is, the only way to make a difference is to vote in this year’s student election; if you feel like adequate change isn’t being made, make your voice heard and vote for an officer who you feel will execute their duties in an effective manner.