For some, class elections are no more than another bell two day at the end of the year, but for those running for a class officer position, it’s a day filled with excitement and nerves.

A couple weeks ago, the volleyball team headed to Boston Latin School for an away game. Apart from getting lost on the way there, we also got locked out of the building. But once we finally got into the building, the first thing I noticed were the posters.

“VOTE FOR EMILY FOR CLASS OF 2012 PRESIDENT” banners streamed across the hallways and “Vote for John” signs overtook every inch of door available.

When I asked my friend from Boston Latin about the election posters afterwards, she said that considering the approximately 500 kids in each grade, class elections were a pretty big deal. This got me thinking, would it actually be a good thing for class elections to be so extravagant at Wayland High School?

Yes and no.

First of all, I think it could be a great idea because it could encourage more dedicated people to run for an officer or representative position, increasing grade participation in class affairs. At least for the Class of 2013, we’re always looking for new ideas from the grade. Trust me, you guys are brilliant. Cotillion, spirit day shirts, keep those great ideas coming!

But then again, there might be some downsides to having a huge election campaign. First of all, it does seem a little over the top. I mean, posters covering every inch of the walls? Imagine walking in to the ME building one day and seeing a giant neon pink poster stretching above the lockers from one end of the hallway to the other; it’s a little much.

Also, I can only hope that it doesn’t turn into a battleground on election day. With so many people running for positions, it could cause chaos and confusion, both for the candidates and voters. And while one of Wayland High School’s top election strategies in the past has been to bribe voters with food, I can only imagine the kind of deals made with voters at these larger elections.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are schools out there with students who don’t even know that they have a form of student government offered at their school. I hope that will never be the case at WHS.

Being the Class President of 2013, I like to think that everyone is deeply concerned with behind the scenes planning for our class’s events, but that’s simply not the case. At the very least, I can hope that everyone reads our updates and has a general idea of what we’re working on.

Considering both extremes of election day, I think that Wayland has a pretty good system. The candidates are respectful of one another, bribes aren’t taken too seriously, and it’s not overly competitive. Election day shouldn’t be a day to stress out or ignore, it should be a day filled with excitement where people can express their opinions and be judged fair and square in front of their peers.