It’s no secret that the administrators have made some controversial decisions. Some argue that they made little effort to gather student input on the proposed full block schedule last year. This year, they implemented the “face-to-face” dance policy and a new system to crack down on tardiness. In all of these decisions, the lack of student input led to accusations of the administration being, in a sense, a dictatorship. There should be no student laws made without student representation and ideas.

In response, the ASB is now trying to create a stronger student presence on the administration’s decision-making process through a proposed “pre-action” amendment — a promising step in the right direction.

The new amendment to the ASB constitution would give the student council veto power over administrative decisions that the student council opposes by at least a 75 percent vote.  The principal would have the right to override the veto by the student council, provided that he explains his reasoning to the student council and the entire community.

Looking back, the spikes of backlash instigated by some of the administration’s more controversial policy changes resulted from their sudden introduction to the student population. Many individuals felt the changes came out of nowhere, and they had no way to express their opinions — there was no buffer zone.

It is the ASB’s role to act as this buffer zone between the administration and student body. The only way to “continuously improve the academic and social culture of our school,” as the ASB aims to do according to its webpage, is to create a healthy link between the two where ideas are flowing in both directions.

It is in our best interest to engage a system where ASB has more of a say in the administration’s decision-making process, mainly in regulations that directly affect student life. The school would greatly benefit from giving ASB power to raise concerns with sudden policy changes pushed forward by the administration.

A stronger policy would allow the student population to act as a mature body capable of making decisions, while also providing the administration a youthful perspective that it is unable to really utilize on its own.

The new pre-action amendment is a good idea, and it is a step in the right direction, one that we hope will lead to a more harmonious future for student-administration relations.