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Missing Pieces for the Student Council

NAKAJIMA Naomichi (National Institute of Technology, Hakodate College)

I am a member of the Student Council of National Institute of Technology, Hakodate College. This organization is referred to as Gakuseikai in our school. I have been working for it since I was a second year student. When I joined it, I expected I would be able to create something exciting along with other students of our school. However, until now, the council has received more blame than praise from students. Even though they chose us through a formal election, students tend to complain rather than appreciate our activities. I believe it is because they feel the council is incomplete and has not reached its full potential. I assume we need to focus our efforts on three aspects to get students' approval. As my favorite subject is mathematics, today, I would like to describe those aspects as the three missing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and suggest what we should do as council members to make it better for students.

The first missing piece is active discussions with students. The previous council often skipped consulting them about the organization of scheduled events such as Sports day or School Festival. Therefore, the plans were set in stone and students did not feel they were involved. Although discussion is a time consuming process, opening up and exchanging opinions with each other gives you a feeling of involvement. Besides, through discussion, you get to know different ideas, which in turn inspire you and expand your vision. The council should proactively engage in more face-to-face interactions with students and let them get involved in our activities through discussions. For instance, we can visit each classroom during the long homeroom hours and talk with them about our school events, which are designed for the whole student body, and not just to satisfy the Gakuseikai.

The second missing piece is a strong leadership to show students we share a clear common goal for each school event. This thought was inspired to me by a role model in my class. He is the captain of our school baseball team. Even though he is not good at school subjects, he is respected among the other team members, because he devotes himself to baseball and to the team. One day, I happened to hear from another classmate, a member of the baseball team, that he would do anything for the captain who believes our team can win a game, and aim for a higher goal. When I went to cheer for them at a local tournament, I saw all the team members, from the players in the field, to the first year students on the bench, and even the seniors at the back of the fence, becoming single-minded in their goal to win the game. Even though they lost that time, their fighting spirit remained intact. They were just ready to practice for a next chance to win. Such strong and united will striving towards a common goal, convinced me the student council should be confident and show students that each event is an opportunity to enrich their school life.

The third missing piece is trust. We are often blamed for not being an organization which represents students, but one which goes against them. Some council members are questioning those critical students, and doubt whether they have the ability to understand the council's role. However, as Lao Tzu said, "He who does not trust enough, Will not be trusted." Unless we trust students, they will never trust us. By experience, I believe Lao Tzu's saying is true.

Indeed, I grew up in a small village, and only had six classmates until I graduated from junior high school. Over the years, we had many arguments and fights but always trusted each other. As a consequence, I do believe these formative years made me a trustworthy person. By clearly expressing and respecting each other's opinions, every member of our group should build and cultivate trust among the students of Hakodate Kosen.

I still have a year and a half to bring about these changes to the student's council. Within this limited time, I will make tremendous efforts to complete the jigsaw puzzle and unite our organization with the students it serves. As a result and thanks to the activities presented by our council, I believe each student will realize he or she is an irreplaceable element of our school. Thank you.