SGA should be able To endorse candidates for the BOE

Even though they are not allowed to vote in government elections until the age of 18, the school-wide student government of Cherry Hill High School East should be able to endorse candidates for the Board of Education (BOE). 

Each spring, students are able to have their voices heard as they elect a school-wide president and three vice presidents to represent the entire school in the next school year. Each class goes through a similar process around the same time, but the school-wide Student Government Association (SGA) election is even more important.

Those who come out victorious have the support of the school and are granted permission to speak out on behalf of the school and their peers. 

Freshmen Madeline Olson and Hannah Hoskins shared with Eastside a controversial opinion regarding whether or not the school-wide SGA should be a voice for our school in this way. 

“It doesn’t directly apply to us students within East so why have SGA promote them,” Olson(’26) and Hoskins (’26) agreed. 

However, they continued to describe how even though we might not be impacted by the Board of Education, they still make decisions that can impact our high school careers and our community. 

“With that being said, [we] would support the idea that [the school-wide SGA board endorse candidates].”

Many students also feel that the SGA should have more of a say in the BOE election process, considering that the BOE makes some of the decisions for our school. 

SGA President Chris Shin’s (‘23) words are exactly what the administration should consider when evaluating whether or not the SGA should be able to endorse candidates. 

“The strongest voice of the student body is the election itself. I want to preserve and respect that voice for what it is.”

Pending approval from the East administration, Shin and his Vice Presidents should thus be allowed to be a voice for all of the students at East by endorsing candidates in the BOE election process.