By Ashlynna Ng (13A01B)

Picture yourself at the end of your JC life. What will you want to have gained after these two short years? Will JC be merely a recollection of times spent a-mugging? Or will you take the path less travelled – be a little bit busier, but receive much more fulfilment? Do you want to learn to lead, organize events and have the time of your life with a spontaneous and awesome bunch of like-minded individuals? If the answer is yes, then you’ve got yourself a plan for the next two years – run for the Students’ Council!

There are many differing views as to what Student Council actually does. Some say that it is the CCA which spends the most time doing “manual labour”. Others believe that Council is the top leadership body amongst student groups. Yet, while it is true that councillors do spend time on things such as painting banners, a greater portion of time is dedicated to leadership and serving the school population. Given a great degree of autonomy (unlike most secondary school organizations), Council is more able to lead by analysing the needs of the school. They can then introduce new initiatives accordingly or modify existing projects for the needs of the students. While time is spent on manual labour, It can actually be seen as a “real chance to be with people; to have more than one pair of hands moulding the same claypiece to create an amazing masterpiece”, in the words of Celeste Tan, who was in charge of IHC Sports 2012.

So how does it all begin? The Council journey begins right now, with you. All of the events and functions organized by council – from Orientation to Take 5 to the Inter-House Competitions, will involve and impact you in some way or another – be it to introduce you to the school, or brighten up your JC life. If you would like to be someone who is responsible for making the magic happen, there will be opportunities for you to sign-up, or receive nominations from your peers to run for Student Council in late February. As the responsibilities of being a councillor are rather high, there is a stringent selection process – after nominations, there will be interviews and campaigning. While undeniably tiring, the process will definitely develop your resilience and help you discover your true reason for becoming a councillor.

So how do you know if you’re truly fit to be part of the Students’ Council? If you’re passionate about Team Raffles and dedicated to improving the experience of your friends and schoolmates – that should carry you through. In the words of Attiya Ashraf, a member of the Communications Department, “It’s when you really make the effort that you can truly start to enjoy the process of serving the school. Council is a part of me now and the feeling is great.”

The Students’ Council strives to be one that connects. Its key thrust of connection is complemented with three key pillars: engage, create, and sincerity. They endeavour to engage the school population, creating something beautiful for the school with sincerity and their best interests at heart. “It’s an ideal we strive towards, and even if we don’t score 10/10 eventually at the end of our term, we will still have had a fulfilling journey,” said Ashlynna Ng, 32nd Council President. “Being a part of the Students’ Council means you leave with a great network of friends, many leadership and life lessons, and knowing that you’ve impacted the school and the lives of your fellow schoolmates.”