School groups should not withhold information from student body

It’s no secret that spirit at the school is low. While separate communities are tight-knit, the school as a whole is not. Many school groups have tried to inspire more involvement, but have yet to succeed.

The arrival of “The Collective,” a school group that aims to promote unity, marks an effort to bolster school spirit and bridge the gap between communities. Funded by the Community Hope and Sober Events (CHASE) Coalition, The Collective officially revealed its message on Friday, April 9 at the Diversity Assembly.

But while The Collective’s actions are well-intentioned, its start relied on a strategy of secrecy that detracted from its purpose of promoting respect.

The Collective utilized “ninja marketing,” which uses suspense to generate interest. This strategy caused a buzz within the school and had students wondering what The Collective was. Rumors spread about The Collective being a band, cult or group discouraging illegal substances.

When students are not presented with the whole truth, they cannot make the best decisions for themselves. By pushing a message onto the student body without fully informing it, The Collective made the decision for the school, depriving students of the chance to make a choice. The Collective assumed that the students would make the wrong choice without outside encouragement.

The Collective became the center of attention and was well-received by those who were given gifts. This gave it the ability to easily sway students. But using material goods to entice students and gather support does not promote a healthy message. This method may not yield the long-term results that The Collective and the school aim to see.

Additionally, withholding the message and allowing the campaign to base itself on mystery prevented the student body from choosing whether it wanted to endorse respect. Though The Collective was publicized as a grassroots group, students were not informed that outside groups and the administration were facilitators as well.

While the element of mystery may have piqued interest and support for the campaign from students who shied away from the original message, the reveal would ultimately have led to the same results. It still wouldn’t matter to uninterested students when The Collective’s message was fully revealed.

Instead of employing the ninja marketing strategy, The Collective should have been upfront with the student body about its background and goals. Supporters would not be doing so for free goods, but rather they would genuinely believe in it. The students would be better prepared to decide for themselves if they wished to work with The Collective.

In the future, student groups should keep in mind that by being honest with students and giving them the respect they deserve, students will in turn be encouraged to respect the group’s goals and each other.