Denying Students into class

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

While I commend your concern for the performance of the team and the learning opportunities of existing team members, I feel as though you are not giving these students the chance you were yourself given.

Here are a few steps you might take to make sure that all students are afforded a proper chance, and to ensure that team standards are met.

- Get in contact with your teachers. Discuss your concerns. As a student, like it or not, you probably have little control over school enrollment. Dealing negatively with the school corporation might not just result in a lack of cooperation when you need something later - it could result in the abolishment of your class, your team or the removal of rights to use the school machine shop. This in turn will shine negatively on you as a team, as well as upon your sponsors.

- If there is not already a contract or constitution in place for your team, write one. If one exists, sit down and revise it with teachers, student leaders, and lead mentors. You might consider giving special attention to sections about student participation and class admission. However you choose to manage this issue is your choice, but you should try to create a system that will be used for class admission in the future. Pick a standard, and make sure all students are judged by it.

- Most importantly - ask yourself a few really hard questions immediately. How would you feel if your ability to join an organization was determined by other students? How well do your teammmates really know these individuals, and what are their relationships? You might be allowing personal biases to seep through. What could these students do to make your team better? What do they bring to the table?

As a student leader on your team, you are at this very moment a role model. Younger students and team members are looking at your for the call to make next. The maturity with which you handle this matter may set a tremendous standard for your team, and I believe that you have the capability to set that bar high.