The Student Council Election

Question

1
“Let’s congratulate everyone running for student council this year,” said Mr. Franklin, “especially our candidates for class president: Priya, Maddie, and Tiana.”

2
The room erupted in applause and cheers, and then the students slowly broke off into groups to work on individual campaigns for different positions. Jeremy, a sixth grader, decided to join Juan’s group.

3
“Hey Juan, why didn’t you run for class president this year?” asked Jeremy. “You could win with your eyes shut.”

4
“Thanks, but I really like math, so I think treasurer is a better fit for me. Besides, my vote is with Priya because she has a lot of great ideas,” explained Juan as he started working on a poster. “She plans to create a study lounge and update the soccer field.”

5
“Doesn’t it bother you that all three candidates are girls? Every other position has boys and girls running, and it seems unfair that boys won’t have any representation in the presidential election,” he said, sounding slightly annoyed.

6
“Wait,” jumped in Angelica, “you don’t think Priya, Maddie, or Tiana would make great class presidents?”

7
“I didn’t say that,” said Jeremy self-consciously, “but what about equal rights?”

8
Other student council members heard the discussion and joined in with their own views. Some students agreed with Jeremy and thought they needed a male candidate to make the election equal and fair. Others explained that each candidate had separate plans for what they would do as president, and their ideas would represent a wide variety of feelings held by many students, both male and female. One student brought up the fact that there were often only male candidates in high positions in national elections. Some students discussed the women suffragists who fought for decades to be seen as equal to men in the eyes of the law. They described how their activism led to the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment. They explained that the amendment made it illegal to deny someone the right to vote based on their sex, so the girls should not be denied the right to run just because they were female.

9
The discussions got louder and more heated as students voiced their opinions, so Mr. Franklin grabbed everyone’s attention with a quick clap. “I’m proud of all of you for your passion on this topic. Civil discourse is always important in democracy. Thank you, Jeremy, for bringing up this interesting question. Does an election need both males and females running to be fair? Answer this question: is a candidate’s sex more important than their capabilities or the principles they stand for?”

10
Most students, including Jeremy, shook their heads no.

11
Mr. Franklin smiled and said, “So, I think you’ll all agree that although a boy is not running, we have three qualified candidates who would each represent the student body fairly. Now, let’s get back to work on those campaign posters.”

12
The students quietly dispersed, and Jeremy approached Priya. “It’s really cool that you want to make a lounge in the library. Can I help with your campaign?”

Multiple Choice Question
Which statement best expresses the theme of the story?

A.
A person’s character is more important than their gender.

B.
Speaking out against injustice is not always the popular thing to do.

C.
People sometimes need time to work out their feelings on their own.

D.
People should stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

Answer 1

The statement that best expresses the theme of the story is:

A. A person’s character is more important than their gender.

This theme is highlighted in the discussion about the student council presidential candidates, where the focus shifts from the candidates' gender to their qualifications and ideas, emphasizing that the capabilities and principles of the candidates are more important than whether they are male or female.