Glasgow Middle School’s thoughts on the SGA elections
For a couple of weeks, there have been countless posters around the school advertising the candidates for the different positions, and it all came to its climax on February 11th. The form to vote was given out in Panther Time, and Glasgow students had the rest of the day to vote. Leading up to the elections, most students had a neutral position, with 43% saying that they felt “okay” about the elections. However, there were a select few that either weren’t aware of the elections or didn’t realize their importance.
Ms. Fletcher, one of the SGA sponsors, said, “It is so important for students to learn that their voice matters and that they have the power to make the changes that they want to see. It’s not just teachers imposing rules on them, it’s that we are all working together to make Glasgow better.”
She highlighted the fact that being a leader now in middle school is going to shape how students act in other communities and in their future. “It really warms my heart, because it makes me realize that these students are going to make a difference in every community that they live in. In high school, college, and in the future.”
While it’s important for students to share their voices, they can’t do everything themselves. Ms. Fletcher mentioned her role as a sort of “middle man” for student ideas to become reality. “We really want to represent the students, when working with other teachers and when working with admin, helping them make the changes that they want to see.” 
There are certainly many topics that students have thoughts to share about. One of the most popular was school events, with 60% saying it was a topic they wanted candidates to address. School lunches came second, with policies, spirit days, and mental health coming in third, fourth and fifth respectively.
The actual election was something that took a while to set up, with a lot of work. “The logistics of holding a school-wide election is not just one person who can make it work, it really involves a lot of people behind the scenes to make it happen,” said Ms. Fletcher. She explained how crucial it was for people to know about the election, so that “results really reflect what the school wants.”
Lastly, Ms. Fletcher wanted the Glasgow community to know “how proud I am of the SGA students that have stepped up and ran for election. I am so impressed by the students that I see in SGA and how hard they work and how much they care about their school. My goal as a teacher is to inspire students but I’m also inspired by students everyday.”
Election results are expected to come out soon, so keep an eye out, Glasgow!
Brianne Nguyen (she/her) is an 8th grader at Glasgow Middle School. She was born and raised in Northern Virginia, but both her parents were born in Vietnam. She loves to write and read, and her favorite book is Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo! She’s in Chamber Orchestra and plays the violin and the piano.
