Bridgewater, Va. –  As of Sept. 28, nine of the sixteen class officer positions were vacant for the 2021- 2022 school year, according to an email from the Coordinator of Student Engagement and Leadership Samantha Schlernitzauer. 

“We have two classes, juniors and seniors, that maybe don’t have a full understanding of what class officers do, because of Covid-19 restrictions. Then you have the class of 2024 that has an even smaller scope of understanding,” said Schlernitzauer. “First-years were particularly disadvantaged and likely have no concept of what a class officer is.” 

“I was thinking, what if I do get this position, and I don’t seem to have the time to do it,” said junior class secretary Faith Shifflett, who suspects time management may have held her peers back from running for the currently vacant president, vice president and treasurer positions for her class. 

This past week, current officers sent class-wide emails to garner interest for the remaining positions available and are optimistic that students will step up to the plate before the end of the month.

“I definitely have a hopeful outlook that we’ll be able to fill these spots,” said first-year class president Mandie Hamilton last Tuesday. “I’ve gotten at least five responses since the emails went out this morning from other students expressing interest.”

Schlernitzauer, who plays a role in vetting potential candidates, said she looks for students who want to see BC succeed and prioritize “building class cohesion amongst their peers and have the drive to do so.”

“I knew that I wanted to and could make a change on campus,” said Faith Shiflett. “And being in that formal environment, being able to collaborate with staff and actually see that change happen was the reason I really wanted to be a class officer.”

As a reminder, student officers run separately from, but work collaboratively with the BCSA.

“BCSA is responsible for campus-wide advocacy on the macro level, while the class officers function on a micro level, advocating for their respective classes,” said Schlernitzauer.

Both on-campus student government groups and advisors feel that resuming in-person events will allow students to reacquaint the roles and responsibilities of class officers and avoid confusion and resulting vacancies in the future. 

“The hope is that this year we’ll be able to show students, through more active class officers and events, what it means to be a class officer and what class unity looks like,” said Schlernitzauer.