For example, let’s say your school has rules in place that require students to get approval before they can hang posters on the school walls, even if the posters are related to school activities. If you know other students are constantly complaining about this rule, you might campaign on changing it. As another example, your school may have an ineffective process for lining up at lunchtime, which causes students to spend most of their lunch period purchasing food. To address this issue, you might suggest a new way of lining up or an alternative process for handing out food. For another option, let’s say your school has tried to do programs to help students, such as anti-bullying programs or extended library hours, but limited funding made the programs ineffective. You might run on a platform of doing fundraising activities and promoting volunteerism to help support these valuable programs.
Student government positions you’ve held Clubs or teams you’ve participated in School events you’ve attended School events you’ve helped plan Volunteer positions you’ve taken
For example, you might include prior work with your school’s student government or a leadership role you held in a club. Similarly, you could include the time you planned set designs for a community theater production or your stint as a summer camp counselor.
For example, you might use words like “first,” “second,” “next,” “then,” “additionally,” “similarly,” “alternatively,” and “furthermore. " Repetitive phrasing can serve as a useful signpost during the speech. You might, for instance, say “The first time we came together to change things for the better” before describing an accomplishment, then introduce the second with “The second time we came together…. ”
For example, make sure your speech doesn’t go over the time limit. Time your speech to make sure it’s about 3-7 minutes long, depending on what your school allows. Whenever possible, give yourself enough time to write several drafts of a speech. Each time you revise a draft, look for ways to trim the language, phrasing, and focus down to the essentials.
Say, “Hello, everyone. My name is Jacob Easton. I’m a junior, and I want to be class president because we need a fresh vision for making Acme High a more welcoming and inclusive school. ” In this example, your “why” statement starts a theme of inclusivity.
For instance, if you’re using the “inclusivity” theme, you might pledge to start an anti-bullying program and a peer mentoring club. You might say, “Together, we can make our school a better place for all students. If elected, I will work with all of you to create an anti-bullying club so that no student is afraid to come to school. Additionally, we will form a peer mentoring club to encourage students to guide others and act as a support system. "
If you’ve held other leadership positions, identify them and mention for each how you achieved something related to your overarching theme. If you haven’t held official leadership positions, identify life experiences in which you had to be both decisive and collaborative. You might say, “As president of the debate club, I’ve expanded club membership, worked with local lawyers to build a mentorship program, and acquired donations from local office supply stores so students have the materials they need for tournaments. If you elect me to be your president, I’ll bring the same type of leadership to the student government. ”
For instance: “While our current class leadership has done good work in reviving school spirit, I will dedicate myself to making sure all students feel the embrace of that spirit and have opportunities to shape it. ”
Say, “Together, we can make our school inclusive for all. Thank you for your time this afternoon. I’m Jacob Easton, and I want your vote. ” You might also decide to go with a catchy slogan, like, “Next Tuesday, ‘Get Awake and Vote for Jake!’”
You can smile or keep your facial expression neutral. Practice your body language in front of a mirror before you give your speech.
For instance, you might say, “We all want to support our classmates with motivational posters. However, current rules make it hard to have school spirit. Let’s change that. " Read the speech out loud as your write it. This will help ensure that each sentence fits the way you speak. If the sentence doesn’t sound right or feel natural coming from your mouth, revise it. Because you’re focused on clarity and brevity, you might use sentence fragments or repeat words or phrases in ways you wouldn’t normally if you were writing an essay.
To make your speech more formal, use grammatically correct sentences and stronger words, while avoiding casual phrasing. For example, don’t use contractions or sentence fragments, which create a more conversational tone. Instead, speak in full sentences. To help you find a more serious tone, imagine that you’re giving your speech to your teachers rather than your classmates. If you plan to give a formal speech, you might watch videos of famous speeches on YouTube to get an idea of what people expect.
When choosing the right jokes and stories for your speech, steer clear of anything that might be perceived as offensive. Always keep your audience in mind. An “inside joke” that your friends understand might not be funny to the student body as a whole. If possible, connect the humor to the overall theme of your speech. For instance, let’s say your speech is about changing the rules for hanging posters on school walls. You might tell a humorous story about the time your school hung up “Go team” posters for a football game that had already happened two weeks prior because it took so long for the posters to get approved.
For example, you’d say, “If we work together, we make it easier to get through the lunch line so we all have more time to eat,” rather than, “If I’m elected, I’ll do everything in my power to fix the lunch lines so students have more time to eat. ”
