BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE atmosphere at the Beach Allen Primary School on Friday (May 31) was similar to that of a general election as the pupils took to the polls to elect a new Student Council.
Three teams - White Lions, Orange Tigers and Black Jaguars - campaigned for the win.
Four hundred and fifteen students lined up at one of two polling stations and exited, after casting their ballots, with ink-stained fingers to confirm that they had voted.
White Lions won by a landslide, having received 315 votes. Orange Tigers came in second with 50 votes while Black Tigers received 14. There were 36 spoilt ballots.
The new Student Council, which will take office from the new school year in September, is made up of the President Wanyaira Woolard, Vice President Trent Caines, Secretary Zalika Mills, Public Relations Officer Radhemes Warner and Treasurer Tionzee Byron.
Over the past few weeks the three teams held presidential debates and public meetings among other events so as to convince students that their team is the best choice to head the Council.
Guidance Counsellor and Student Council Liaison Officer Larissa Mars, in a previous interview, told this media house that the group was dormant for some time and became active during the last school year.
She said that the Council changes every year right before final exams and the process mimics that of a general election with regards to the campaign.
She explained that this is also a learning process for the students, as some of them are currently learning about elections in their studies, noting that it is seen as an opportunity for them to add practical to theory.
Mars added that there were also electoral clerks who tallied the ballots and an announcement of the winners for each polling station and the overall winner were done in the afternoon.
This was followed by celebratory march around the school by the winning team and its supporters.
