Outgoing ASB President Clyde Oglesby has some final words of advice for incoming President Alyssa Johnson.
“When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary to sever the bonds between oneself and their high school, a decent respect between oneself and those a year younger than them requires that they lay forth a few tips for their successor.
I have learned a thing or two in my years at Elmira High School’s Student Council. Firstly, Alyssa, what you should know is that the staff will basically let you get away with whatever you want. As long as you say that whatever you’re doing is an “official leadership function” (you can just make something up on the spot, they won’t know) the staff will let you walk through the “staff only” areas, hold staff keys, walk into a classroom that isn’t yours while Mrs. Nelson is teaching and completely commandeer the students in attendance as a captive audience, and more.
I strongly recommend you do all of these things.
You can also find a lot of cool stuff in the Leadership storage room. I know you’ve been in there before, and sadly a lot of it has been cleaned out this year, but there’s still going to be more stuff no one knows what to do with, added on a weekly basis. And a little-known fact is, if you don’t tell anyone you’re taking it, everything there is free to take! That’s how I got ALL of my EHS gear.
Really, though, you have a great responsibility. The state of student leadership is a constant battle against the status quo ante. Year after year, we have to show our constituents the value of true leadership, to triumph over the opposition candidates who are either more popular or less experienced as leaders. So far, we have found victory, however we do always run the risk of slipping back into a state of ineffective leadership.
A leader is someone who puts the needs of others before themselves. A leader should always seek the best solution to a problem, one that is beneficial to all concerned parties. A leader must be competent and well-versed in the rules by which they govern. I believe that you have all of these qualities, and I am pleased to see you assume the title of ASB President next year.”
