Student Government: Artemis Aims Arrows to Change and Future Endeavours

As future leaders, we can play an important role in driving positive transformation in the world, especially at a time when change and awareness of urgent issues are imperative. As this Student Government group is named after one of history’s most remarkable role models, it is vital to understand her true role, influence, and how she has been perceived and admired throughout history.

Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting and nature, as well as nurturing and cultivating the young, has been viewed as a symbol of strength, self-reliance and intellectuality, and quite possibly the inspiration behind popular and eloquent characters, such as Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games, with a predominant hunting trait and empathetic skills largely associated with Artemis’ values.

With elections just around the corner and an upcoming Student Government Debate to tune into, groups are gearing up for campaigns to convince our student population about what they will attain for our school.

Artemis recently held an all-inclusive meeting to discuss their proposed policies over a few games of Jenga, chess and Trivial Pursuit, fostering ideas and a few laughs, and I sat down for a small interview with their members representing the government.

When I asked about their ambitions for the upcoming school year, they stated that their main focus was improving school facilities through effective resource use. They would differentiate themselves from previous student governments by operating without a budget to fund repairs, relying on fundraisers such as bake sales and community-based charity events. They mentioned that profits were lacking and that they attended additional events, such as prom, rather than basic facilities. They planned to fix the latter and wished to accomplish more than previous student governments.

Student Governments, including Artemis, elect candidates to four positions. With higher campaign notice, additional roles could be added. The president of the government, Otávio, creates policies, organises events, and performs specific roles to sustain the government’s positions of power, with the help of his vice-president, Alex and secretary, Nika, who support the President and follow up on proposed ideas. Additionally, the Treasurer, Andrea, manages the funds received, thereby playing an important role in directing charitable and fun fundraisers to various projects, such as bathroom improvements.

They also mentioned, as a final note, that previous student governments had poorly implemented policies that didn’t make them as successful as they’d hoped, and that Artemis’ goal was to accomplish more than previous organisations, with your support. Some of their plans stated more ‘spirit days’ (such as pyjama day), improving lunch line systems, and increasing access to information for school clubs. However, they plan to implement much more following the election!