The recent controversy over a foreign exchange student, whatever the pros and cons, strikingly revealed two things about the operation of Maine West's student government. (1) a very evident breakdown in communications between Student Council and the student body has occurred; and (2) the solution to the problem lies in the hands of individual students.

During the foreign exchange debate, almost half of the Council members expressed the opinion that the student body should not be allowed to vote on the matter. Most seemed to base their opposition on the following reasoning: the students elected the council members to represent them and to voice their opinions in school matters.

The Council issue has been too often blurred in the past by charges of "clique," "ruling elite," and non‑representation of the student body as a whole. Whatever the basis for these charges, however, we feel that the belief is definitely unjustified.

The duty of Council members is to represent the student body in all decisions, especially major ones. It is through these representatives that the students voice their opinions. Students should be well informed of the issue at hand before they form opinions. It is then their duty to make their opinions known to their representatives.

Therefore, responsibility for the present situation should be placed where it belongs, with each individual student. If some Council members have developed a feeling of non‑responsibility to the students, it is because the student body has allowed them to do so. If homeroom reports have reached the status of a farce, it is because the student body has made it that way by apathy if nothing else. The foreign exchange issue proved one thing above all others ‑ a small number of students not on Council can voice their opinions and get results.‑ be they desirable or not.