It’s been almost nine months since co-presidents Jake May and Adam Chan first addressed the Fieldston community on Founder’s Day, when they called upon the student body to take initiative. Reaffirming their stance from the presidential election, the presidents stated that they “did not want to run student government from the top down. However…responsibility is on the student body to take action.” Both Jake and Adam have reached the mid-year point in their presidency, and it’s time to reflect on what has been done and what the future holds.
During the first ever State of Fieldston address, two days after President Obama delivered his own State of the Union, Jake and Adam delineated their second semester agenda along with their first semester accomplishments.
Jake and Adam are encouraged by their progress, having fulfilled almost all of their promises made during the presidential election, and when asked what grade they would give themselves, they responded with an “A.”
“We don’t mean to brag, but we honestly believe that we deserve an A,” said the Presidents. “We’re very proud that throughout our tenure, we have kept the student body informed and involved and that we have seen every initiative that we started through to the end.”
With a $5,000 grant from the administration, Jake and Adam have purchased a foosball table, secured a second pep rally, provided money for clubs, and installed thicker toilet paper in the 100s building. Working with the Flick staff, Jake and Adam eliminated tilapia day and pizza day, which have been replaced by a rotation of Fieldston’s favorite dishes.
“I certainly feel that Adam and Jake have used our budget well,” said Treasurer Ben Farhi. “I am a firm believer in the use of polls as a means to decide how money is spent, although some financial decisions should remain at our discretion.”
Many have questioned whether the presidents have allocated their funds appropriately, criticizing especially the use of thicker toilet paper in the 100s building. Considering the amount of money that facilities used for toilet paper, some students felt that money towards financial aid or charity would’ve been better alternatives. However, Jake and Adam cited general student opinion as well as other research as evidence that they were fulfilling the desires of the majority.
“Another major contributor to Facilities’ decision was the research we showed them where Duke University switched to 2-ply and actually saved money because less toilet paper was used per usage,” said Jake and Adam.
Upper School Principal Laura Danforth echoed that Jake and Adam are doing a great job, but “would love to see some funding go towards a charity that the students feel good about and can get behind” during the second semester.
For the final stretch of their presidency, both Jake and Adam are intending to install a second toaster in the cafeteria, rework the test calendar, purchase a pop-a-shot for the commons, and potentially enforce a male-female co-president election, in which only pairs representing both genders will be allowed to run.
A mandate enforcing a boy girl FSG pairing has caused a significant amount of controversy. Sophomore representative Andrew Celli initially criticized the proposition, believing that forcing gender arrangements prohibited the right to choose and ultimately elect effective presidents. However that opinion quickly changed.
“It’s a very complicated issue,” said Celli. “At first I was completely against the proposition. Although, after some thought, I have started to come around. The fact that there were only two girls who ran last year needs to be addressed. There is no way that the proportion of male presidents to female presidents reflects the number of qualified and competent students at our school.”
“The problem of the gender disparity in FSG stems from two places,” said junior representative Julia Rosenberg. “Girls being too intimidated to run for FSG Presidents, and the student body not believing that females are qualified to do so.”
While Rosenberg maintains that the mandate is the solution to fixing the gender disparity, she also recognizes the disadvantages. “Choosing a boy and girl candidate perpetuates the gender binary. Making students choose a gender either makes students place themselves into a category they do not genuinely feel they belong to, or excludes gender ambiguous/questioning candidates altogether. Additionally, I don’t think it is fair to rule out the potential of having a two-female ticket and I don’t think it’s fair to women to eliminate the opportunity.”
Indeed, the issue is far from settled, and may bring up even more complex discussions. However, the Presidents have already succeeded in questioning the status quo and have started a discourse regarding gender equality.
At a time where the national Congress’s approval rating sits at a mere 14 percent and President Obama’s at 46 percent, it is fair to say that Jake and Adam have a significantly better approval rating from the administration and students alike.
