Cheer

Mars School Board member William Pettigrew and district solicitor Tom King had the right of it earlier this week, when they criticized a student council proposal that would eliminate elections as the means by which student council officers and representatives would be chosen.

Under the new proposed system, prospective members would be required to carry a 3.0 grade point average, write two essays on why they want to participate, and volunteer for a set number of community hours.

The proposal does contain positive ideas. Having students write essays about why they want to get involved might help them refine their vision for council. And community service can be a powerful, character-building experience. It’s a worthy pursuit to have students contribute to those projects.

But requiring an arbitrary minimum standard of academic performance is a poor idea. It might discourage students who want to be on council from challenging themselves academically, and it would exclude students who might not be able to achieve a 3.0 GPA, but still want to participate in student government.

Similarly, eliminating elections is a step that would reduce the value of student government. Part of the experience is students learning to make a case for why their peers should elect them. Removing that challenge would strip away an important aspect of student government.

Pettigrew and King were right to take issue with the proposal. But they should use this opportunity to engage council members in an active discussion over how to implement their best ideas.

Jeer

Few things are more disgusting that listening to a conniving politician try to profit off their position as a public servant. That’s what jurors in the pay-to-play trial of Richard Ireland, a wealthy Chester County businessman and political contributor to former Pennsylvania state Treasurer Rob McCord, were treated to on Thursday.

Jurors heard several tapes of McCord, who was caught on tape in 2014 trying to shake down campaign donors, and Ireland talking

Now McCord, who pleaded guilty to extortion and is awaiting sentencing, is a star witness against Ireland. “Star” is a misnomer; McCord is a convicted felony that used his elected office as a get-rich-quick scheme. Nobody should forget that fact.

Cheer

Credit where credit is due: Butler School District responded appropriately to a report that two men approached a secondary school student on Tuesday, while the child was waiting at a school bus stop.

According to school officials, two men on motorized bikes approached the boy and started asking him personal questions. Assistant superintendent Brian Slamecka said the boy contacted his parents, and the district subsequently issued a notice through its emergency notification system and contacted state police to try and locate the men.

It seems like everyone — from the student to district administrators — comported themselves exactly how they should have. But the incident is nonetheless a reminder that people can never be too vigilant for suspicious behavior or cautious in troubling situations.