Should You Run?

You don't need to be popular to win a school election.

In fact, most of your class probably secretly resents the popular people with the snotty I'm-better-than-you-and-nobody-can-beat-me attitudes, and would be glad to vote for anyone with the courage to run against them.*

* Of course, not all popular people are snotty. Some people are popular and well-liked because they're genuine and friendly. But you know who I'm talking about -- the ones who are popular but NOT well-liked, the ones who are condescending, the ones who pick and choose who they can talk to because of what clique they're in... The people who forget that we're all human, and think they're better than everyone else. If you can't stand someone's attitude, you can bet you're not the only one who notices and resents it. Just because someone appears to be "popular" (well-known) doesn't mean he or she is well-liked enough to win a majority of the votes.

Students get tired of seeing the same old people win again and again. People grow and change. They like giving "new blood" a chance whenever possible--perhaps hoping that someday they'll get a chance too.

Also, everyone likes to prove that it's possible to be a nice person and succeed. Students will only vote for someone they like. The popular people don't always fit into that category.

Don't think that behaving like you're a shoo-in will win you votes. Whether you're popular or not, you should try to show that you are just a "normal" person who wants to make a difference and work hard to help improve your school. Students would rather vote for someone who's really excited about doing the job than for someone who just wants another title to confirm for everyone how wonderful he or she is.

Even if the students you're running against are really good candidates--candidates even you would want to vote for--you just never know. It doesn't mean you can't beat them. They could split the majority of the votes and each have fewer votes than you. They could do something stupid and lose support. They could get overconfident and pompous, act like they've already won, and turn everyone off. They could give a really lame speech because they think they'll win anyway. They could get disqualified. They could drop out of the race. You never know what's going to happen.

Don't hold yourself back from running because you imagine someone else might do a better job than you. Come on, it's not brain surgery! Don't let your own self-doubt control you. Too often, the people you step out of the way for, letting them go ahead of you, end up disappointing you. They don't appreciate it, they forget, they lose enthusiasm, and they almost never do the job as well as you thought they would. You always end up kicking yourself for not going after something you wanted.

If you want the job, go for it! For everyone who wins, there's someone who doesn't. Nobody remembers, nobody cares. You cry a little and then move on. The only real defeat is when you stop yourself from trying. Then you're sure to lose.

Running can be fun, whether you win or not. (If you make it fun.) If you focus on the right things during your campaign, you can have a great time, earn respect from your classmates, and meet new people.

If you run a good race and make a good effort, you'll have a lot to be proud of, regardless of the outcome. Throwing yourself into the ring can do wonders for your confidence and self-esteem.

Also, your chances are far better than you'd think--especially if you're reading this book and learning from the successes and failures of others who have done what you're about to do.

If the thing that's stopping you is FEAR (a four-letter word), please, just suck it up and take a deep breath. Picture how proud you'll be if you win; picture yourself running a good race and having fun with it; think of the friends you may not have met yet who you could have an excuse to talk to and meet during the campaign... Think of how young you are, and say to yourself, "If I don't attempt this now, when will I ever have the guts to--or the chance to?" And then GO FOR IT!