Students will not have to wait until November to voice their opinions. In just a few days, Henry Ford Community College students will have the opportunity to vote for the HFCC Student Council (StuCo) for 2010-2011, and with nine open spots, the school will be looking at almost an entirely new Student Council this year.

According to Eryk White, acting chair of the council and the only returning member, the primary focus is to bridge the gap between students, faculty, and staff. This year he hopes to encourage more interaction; despite HFCC being one of the most diverse campuses in the state, most students remain within their own circles of trust. White also proclaimed a desire for staff and faculty to become more involved outside of the classroom, to be more invested in students and in the college.

To run for Student Council, one must be at least a part-time student, taking six or more credit hours, have and maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average, and cannot already be a member of the College Trustee Board, the College Alumni Association Board, the College Foundation Board, the Student Newspaper Board, or the Mirror News student newspaper. A minimum of 25 votes are needed to be elected to the council.

Voting for the new council will begin the week of September 24, and will end Friday of that week, on September 30. There will be voting stations located throughout campus at frequently visited spots, including the Student Center, the Learning Resource Center, the Technology Building, and the Administrative Services and Conference Center, located behind the Student Center. Or students can vote online by visiting the college website (www.hfcc.edu) and accessing the Student Council Elections link that will be available during the week of the 24th. There are no set spots on the Council, as those are assigned internally.

However, even if you are not elected as a member of the actual Council, various StuCo committees are always open for registration, including the Outreach and Engagement Committee, dedicated to planning and participating in outreach activities; the Structural Integration Committee for dealing with campus security and administration; and the Communication Committee for listening to and addressing concerns regarding the school and the Council.

These committees will give students a chance to get involved with the community, as well as earn community service credit hours. There is also a new campaign planned to launch later this year, currently known only as “DBA,” the Student Civility Campaign.

The first StuCo meeting will take place October 13 after the seating of the new Council.