The Watertown Middle School is not just run by teachers, students have a role, too.

At the beginning of the year each homeroom elects two homeroom representatives and one alternate in case a homeroom rep is absent. All of the homeroom reps meet and they vote for two executive board members (one boy and one girl).

The homeroom reps meet every other Friday in the cafeteria and talk about the different events that are going on in the school. For example, they talk about the different fund-raising activities that are going on and events that will take place in the school. The homeroom reps vote on different ideas, but, in the end, the teachers make the final decision.

The members have to be responsible because they are representing the school. If they get too many detentions or get suspended, they get kicked off of the board. There are other positions, such as president and vice president . They have a bigger role than the homeroom reps. The president also has to come early to dances to help set up, make promotional speeches, and help kick off events. (The person who comes in second in the voting for president becomes vice president.)

If you have been inside WMS recently, you probably have seen posters for students running for president, secretary, and treasurer. On June 8, there was an election for these spots on the student council for next year. The upcoming eighth-graders run and only their fellow classmates could vote for them.

This year, students had a choice of seven kids for student body president, six for secretary, and six for treasurer. In order to become the president, you must have good grades, you can’t have any detentions and too many tardies or absences. First, the student has to talk with Mr. Donato and get a nomination paper. The candidate then has to have 20 classmates and five teachers sign the paper (which is different depending on the office). After Mr. Donato approves the paper, the candidate can start putting up posters and persuading people to vote.

On Monday, June 7, during homeroom, each student running had to give a speech about why they would make a good candidate. On Election Day, each seventh-grade homeroom teacher gave their students a ballot so they could pick the person who would represent the school the best. Since there were so many people running and the voting was so close, a runoff election was held to make everything fair and to make sure the candidates had at least a 10-vote difference.

Katherine Dolan was a candidate for president.

“I hope I win,” she said, “but even if I don’t, I know I put in 100 percent for my campaign and I tried hard.”

Nick Lanni won the election for class president, but Katherine finished with Caitlyn D’Amico and Jimmy McDonald, so there will be three vice presidents next year.

Rachel Campbell and Jared Grillo will share the secretary’s job, and Allie Doggett won the race for treasurer.

–June 15, 2010–