SG vs. SC
Get ready for the Student Government big leagues
By Ana Ribero
You know everything (or at least think you do) there is to know about Student Council in high school. You’ve got it down pat. You’re a pro. But now you’re walking into a great unknown when you join Student Government in college. Here are some changes you can expect that will help ease you into the big leagues.
| MONEY MATTERS | ||
| Show Me the Money. SGs work with budgets of as much as $10 million, which they get from Student Activity and Service Fees. They usually allocate this money to student groups. | Working Hard for the Money. SCs have to fundraise for most of their money and have smaller budgets, usually peaking at around $12,000. | |
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| TIME TOTALS | ||
| No Time
to Relax.
SG leaders usually have a huge time
commitment. The president and vice president put in up to 40 hours
weekly and other officers spend anywhere from 5 to15 hours a week. "Being Vice President of SG is not a job—it’s a lifestyle. You’re on 24 hours a day, seven days a week," says David Mincberg, SG vice president at the University of South Florida in Tampa. |
So Much to Do, So Little Time. SC members sometimes have one leadership class a day that’s fully devoted to SC affairs. Officers also spend from 5 to 20 after-school hours a week working on SC projects. | |
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| WAGE WARS | ||
| Working for a Living. Most SG positions are "paid," with wages ranging from minimum wage ($5.15 an hour) to up to $8 an hour. Sometimes SG officers also are rewarded in other ways including free tuition and housing, meal scholarships, banquets, academic credits, and free tickets to sporting events. | Will Work for Free. SC positions are never paid. No pay, no way, no how. | |
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| SPENDING SPREES | ||
| Crazy Campaigning. SG candidates sometimes spend thousands of dollars on their campaigns. Campaigns sometimes get nasty, and violations and fines are common. Some schools even have political parties. |
Cheap Shots. High school students don’t
have access to big budgets, and SC candidates are usually restricted in
what they can do with that money. Posters are OK; candy is NOT. "Usually, candidates spend around $30, unless they go all out and spend $100," says Michelle Castro, junior class president of J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs. |
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| VOTING VANITIES | ||
| Get the Vote Out. The average voter turnout for SG elections is about two to five percent of the student body. Polling stations are set up throughout the campus, and it’s the student’s responsibility to vote. Other schools are experimenting with on-line voting. | The Voting Class. Many high schools hold SC elections during class time. All students vote during homeroom. | |
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| DAZZLING DUTIES | ||
| Fighting the Good Fight. SG allocates funds to groups and campus entities, creates programs and events to improve the social environment of the campus, and represents students to the school’s administration and state legislature. | Dance the Night Away. SC is responsible for the social events that high school students look forward to throughout the year. | |
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| STAFF STRUCTURE | ||
| We the People. SG usually is set up exactly like the U.S. government: there are executive, legislative, and judicial branches. | A Class of Their Own. Most SCs have an executive board with a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Each class also has its own officers and representatives that make up a cabinet. | |
Copyright © 2006 Oxendine Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved
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