New Reps in the Hall

A voice in government can be the voice of a party, a minority or even a cause.

Come next fall, two students from will find their voices as student ambassadors on the District 231 Board of Education.

“We need to get the students and administration on the same page,” said student ambassador Lauren Capizzi, who was elected late last month. “We need to let students know what's happening [at EPCHS], and why it's happening.”

As non-voting members of the board, Capizzi and Lauren can address a variety of issues -- including the cafeteria menu, course scheduling and student outings -- but they cannot actually decide on anything.

Schulte said she's at a vantage in her new position, because students can trust that she'll bring their concerns to the board.

“It means being respectful [toward] your fellow classmates,” Schulte said of her position, “and being a role model for students to look up to.”

Board Pres. Raymond Trzeciak said both candidates struck the board as originators with “outstanding academic records.”

During her interview, Schulte suggested EPCHS work on a film that would showcase the student body – their scholastic achievements, various talents and extracurricular involvement – to draw prospective students to the school.

“We loved their professionalism,” Trzeciak added. “They were very comfortable communicating to the board that the students will have a voice.”

Both student ambassadors, who were picked from several applicants, will have their inauguration in the fall during the first school board meeting. They'll be trained on board governance over the summer, which they're excited to learn, in light of Illinois' recent corruption.

“Being shady,” Capizzi said. “That's bad politics. We've learned a lot from the past governor Rod Blagovich and the corruption in Cook County.”

It was no secret, in the weeks leading up to that the board was considering having two ambassador positions, once again.

Capizzi said Point and Kassam “...set the bar. You always hope to do better than the last person in office, and you hope that the next person in office does better than you. It's a benefit to the [students].”

And the fact that their both young women, Capizzi and Shulte agreed, has little to do with the task at hand.

“Of course there are issues,” Capizzi said. “There are always things happening, but they're not all gender specific.”

Capizzi noted bullying, an issue she thinks deserves greater attention from everyone at EPCHS, relates to both male and female students.

"There could be more general awareness," Capizzi said. "You sometimes hear, 'it's not a problem that affects our school,' but of course there's bullying. Not everyone is friends." 

Though bullying is an issue she's only begun to consider discussing, Capizzi is excited for the part she'll play, and the experience she'll gain as a student ambassador.

Schulte, likewise, said she'd like to push the idea of overall scholastic achievement for scholarships at EPCHS, instead of scholarships based entirely on athletic achievements.

"A student might say, 'I don't need to do my work because I'm on track,'" Schulte said. "And the odds of becoming a professional athlete someday aren't that great."

Concentrating on your studies -- that's what sets you apart in the professional world, she argued.

"We should encourage people to care more," Capizzi stressed. "Just to let them know, 'you can do this.' You're likely to succeed in the job world if you're more educated."