Given the difficult circumstances relative to COVID-19, many after school clubs and activities were canceled for the year, yet some are continuing on through virtual means. North Kingstown High School’s Student Union has been conducting meetings via google meets for the past six months. Despite the many challenges caused by the pandemic, the Student Union is still looking to make improvements. 

I met with Student Union President Jacob Cedor on February 3 to discuss his achievements/goals for the club. When asked about the accomplishments of his presidency, Cedor said they were relatively limited due to “the coronavirus coming on” and the fact that he “just took” his seat on the North Kingstown School Committee. Cedor was elected President on October 29, 2020 and was sworn in as the Student Representative to the School Committee on January 12, 2020. 

Though his achievements to date are few, he has numerous ambitions. Cedor mentioned that a “campus greenery project” is in the works. The initiative would liven up the campus with expanded greenery. The president acknowledged that Superintendent Dr. Auger is aware of the idea and supports the move: “He seems pretty on board with that.” Cedor is optimistic that the project will be coming soon. 

Cedor and the rest of the Student Union also made reforms to their election. “Recently we voted in agreement to open up the presidential election to the entire school, and not just the Student Union,” he said. Importantly, Cedor emphasized that the requirements for running for president were designed to ensure that the race would not become a “popularity contest” between people barely invested in the club. 

The president and I also talked about maintaining Student Union’s credibility townwide. Cedor said the most important thing is that the “students actually give their perspective . . . and go to Town Council and School Committee meetings.” He maintained student activism is key in municipal government. 

Lastly, Cedor talked about the importance of having the Student Union President be the student liaison to the School Committee. He explained that the discussion of separating the two roles was talked about at the local level. Yet President Cedor believes the position is best suited for the Student Union President, who could be the most “representative” of the school. 

In spite of COVID-19, the Student Union has remained active and hard at work. It will be interesting to see how much they can accomplish in this difficult year full of drawbacks and obstacles to overcome. 

Visit the “Interview with President Cedor” video, now available on www.currentwave.org and the NKHS Current Wave Instagram, to hear more from the President about subjects such as recycling, the role of the student liaison to the School Committee, and the specifics of the next Student Union election. 

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