Shannon

Once again it's time for a sizable slice of Shannon!

Oh Aberdine, you're such a spitfire!



The day of the first official student council debate had come. Amanda, Shannon, and Aberdine had been campaigning for two weeks straight. It was time to show the school what they were capable of. The school had kept the cafetorium open for the debate after classes had finished for the day. Shannon and her friends waited back stage for the debate to start.

"With you guys as my campaign managers there's no way I can lose!" Amanda was practically bouncing with excitement. The schools junior basketball team didn't make it to finals so she was excited to have something to do. "How badly do you think we'll beat Cassie?"

"If you don't let her get to you and stick to the issues we should be fine." Shannon said. "I feel so professional." She giggled to Aberdine.

Aberdine rolled her eyes. "Look, don't get too excited. We're just laying the groundwork right now so students will remember your name come next year when they vote." She sighed and rubbed her temples. "This could all be for nothing if they forget by September."

"Septembers a long ways away." Shannon said. "We've got a lot of time to make sure they remember."

"Well, I was excited but now I'm nervous." Amanda slumped onto a wooden stool and began to pout.

At that moment the staff in charge of the debate had taken the stage and was announcing the candidates. Cassie was called on stage first.

"Look alive!" Aberdine said in a harsh whisper. "You're about to head on stage!"

Amanda stood up, steeled herself, and marched out onto the stage as her name was announced.

Shannon and Aberdine peaked out from behind the curtain.

The cafetorium was empty.

"What the heck!" Shannon whispered. "There's maybe a dozen students there! Don't they care about this? This is important!"

"A lot of students don't pay attention to the student council." Aberdine said as she eyed Cassie and the other candidates. "They think it's a waste of time."

"But we spent so much time telling students about this!" Shannon frowned before ducking back behind the stage.

The debate had begun and was fairly dull while the candidates introduced themselves to the handful of students in attendance. Things started to heat up when the question and answer period hit. As the staff member asked the candidates about their platforms Cassie's dark side reared emerged.

As the candidates would give their answers Cassie would deride them for not understanding what it took to be student council president. On more than one occasion citing her own experience as her source of knowledge.

It came to Amanda's first question.

"How would you improve our school." the staff member asked in a listless tone.

Amanda stood tall and beamed with pride. "I'd propose a balanced budget for all the extra curricular groups and open up registration to more clubs. If our students are happy, it improves the atmosphere here."

"Does losing our schools chance at the finals improve the atmosphere here too?" Cassie asked in a snide tone.

"What's that got to do with this?" Amanda shot back.

"You're the captain of the junior girls basketball team aren't you?" Cassie sneered.

"Yeah?"

"So if you can't lead a team to victory, what makes you think you can lead our school anywhere?"

The cafetorium went silent. Amanda stood unsure of how to react.

"At least she wouldn't lead this school into the ground!" Aberdine shouted from the side of the stage.

"Aberdine! What are you doing!?" Shannon whispered.

"You're not a candidate! You can't be part of this debate!" Cassie shouted.

"Why? Because you're smart enough to match wits with me?" Aberdine retorted. Shannon tried to pull Aberdine back behind the curtain but she walked further up the stage to Amanda's podium and picked up the mic. "Any of the candidates would do better than you!"

"No they wouldn't! They don't know what it takes to be a successful student president." Cassie defended.

"Neither would you!" Aberdine spat immediately. "You're idea of improving moral is to cut all the clubs and throw lame dances that students have to pay to get in!"

"I didn't organize those dances!" Cassie retorted. "The event planning committee did."

"And you didn't even assign them a budget. Is that your idea of proper budget alignment? Forcing clubs to raise their own funds and then shut them down anyway?"

"The event planning committee was doing a poor job and I had to shut them down. It's not my fault they couldn't throw a good dance."

"And whose going to plan events now that their gone?" Aberdine asked. "Events like this years prom?"

Cassie stood dumbfounded as the few students in the cafetorium whooped and hollered. Even the other candidates were clapping.

"I'm afraid I'll have to suspend the proceedings." The staff member said as she stood up. "Could the candidates, and you," she pointed at Aberdine, "whoever you are, meet me in the guidance offices in ten minutes."

And so ended the first official debate for student council president.