Fuller Cowell Is School President
By Karen Gould

Ninth grade students Darcy Brodeur-Bunker, Fuller Cowell, and Arial Leeper ran in the January school election for High School president, with Fuller Cowell (center) winning the seat.

A campaign for high school president that included speeches, issues, and voting was part of a learning project designed by Jessica Clark, who teaches government to 9th and 10th grade students. Fuller Cowell won the election.

“I would like to do this every year, or at least every year we’re doing government class,” said Mrs. Clark.

Government is taught at the school every other year.

Learning about the executive branch of government and the presidency for the 9th and 10th grade classes was a hands-on experience and included a meeting with Superintendent Jack Dehring, who addressed student issues.

Mrs. Clark began the project with a discussion of school issues and the things students would like to change. That led to the writing of campaign speeches, presentations, and a vote for the top three speeches. The winning speech writers became the candidates for high school president. In addition to Mr. Cowell, they were Darcy Brodeur-Bunker and Arial Leeper.

The candidates selected their campaign teams, speeches were updated, posters produced, and presentations were made to students in eighth grade through 12th grade, who then voted.

A highlight of the class was when Mr. Dehring addressed the campaign issues, which included a longer lunch period, more variety in the curriculum, and picnic tables outside. He held his ground on the longer lunch proposal.

While a longer lunch would give students an opportunity to go to the bank or gas up their snowmobiles, he admitted, a trial period in the past proved that most students didn’t have that much to do. More convincing was his reminder that a longer lunch period would extend the school day.

Students were happy to be offered a woodshop class this year and lobbied for it to be offered to younger students, too. Mr. Dehring explained that class variety is subject to teacher training and availability. He said he is working with Mrs. Clark, who teaches the class, to see if the fall schedule can accommodate eighth grade students.

Picnic lunch tables are always a good campaign issue, and students suggested the popular new woodshop class could make them. Mr. Dehring, experienced in politics, said the students could use some benches that already are outside, but suggested the president should discuss such matters with the school cook and janitor, since additional arrangements would need to be made for food and trash collection.

"This was a valuable experience for the students,” said Mr. Dehring. “I feel it showed them that there are ways to get things done."

Mr. Cowell’s responsibility as president will be to see that the issues continue to move forward to a conclusion, Mrs. Clark said.

“I think the election taught students about the amount of time, the number of people, and all the information it takes to reach the final stages of an election,” said Mrs. Clark. “It’s a group effort, not just the effort of one person.”