Sound Off: Is 5-Star app a fading star when it comes to school elections?

Dario Rodriguez, reporter: Ever since the beginning of the pandemic, the world has used technology to its full advantage and made the most of it. Part of that technology used today is the 5-star app that allows students to participate in school activities with easy access. From my personal experience and observations, 5-star has been a useful tool for the school when it comes to extra-curricular activities. However, for those who may not see or experience the usefulness of 5-star, they might want to utilize social media, school announcements, or maybe a classroom agenda that allows students to be informed about school activities. Personally, I believe what we currently use deserves five stars.

Bryson McMichael, reporter: I think the 5-Star system works, but not as good as the voting process we used previously. Before we used to take the votes individually as a class or there would be a section of class dedicated to voting and I feel that was better because as a collective group there would be more participation across the school. Personally, I had no idea the voting was happening, whether I could’ve voted or not this can be used as a clear example of why Five-Star falls short and the old way was more effective.

Jesus Sarmiento, reporter: I believe that the 5-Star app doesn’t work because students don’t really care on who is chosen for the role and most of the students have uninstalled it because they are only used once. At other times they didn’t even know it was an app on their phone. They probably thought it was an app on their computer and they forgot to install it. My solution would be. to have boxes of the representatives with a photo to show them who they’re voting for, then the teacher would hand out one small paper. That way it’s easier to see who won and for the people who manage the whole thing.

Nora Hystad, reporter: The school's voting system, 5-Star, may not be truly representative as not every student has the app, limiting participation. In my observation and experience, this can have a exclusionary aspect. An alternative solution could involve traditional paper ballots alongside the digital system. This change addresses the current limitations of the student body. Moreover, relying solely on a digital platform may create a disadvantage for students with limited access to technology or those who don't have an app. The exclusive nature of 5-Star can lead to less votes, affecting the legitimacy of election outcomes. The different idea, combining traditional paper ballots with the existing digital system, not only supports varying preferences but also reduces the technological divide. This can ensure that every student's voice is heard and respected.

Gabriel Martinez, reporter: No, the school’s voting system is not truly representative of the school’s population. Despite a lack of data, I’m sure most people, including myself, do not have the Five-Star app. I feel like the school is too dependent on the app, with things like voting, school IDs, and off campus passes all accessible through the app. This issue can be tied to the development of technology. Despite the numerous positives to advancements in technology, we shouldn’t have to rely on it for everything. Even though younger people are generally known to use technology, that doesn’t make students want to vote any more. I believe we should be given slips with candidates, and check who we want to vote for.

Isaiah White, reporter: Manteca High’s new voting system is not the best way for the students at the school for the following reasons: People barely have the 5-Star app and the new way to get off campus is way harder to access for students, especially if you have no service on your phone. I feel like there are many students who don’t have the 5-Star app, which means many students don’t have access to school voting and other activities for our school. I really liked the old way when we use to get bracelets and actual off-campus cards, which were more efficient and easier to access for the students of Manteca High School.

Stephany Medina, reporter: The 5-Star voting process for school elections does not account for the entire student population of Manteca High School. It is probable that not all students were aware of the voting process, creating a nonresponse bias. Not all teachers were willing to shave out a section of their class to vote, not giving every student the opportunity to vote. Furthermore, if a student does choose to vote outside of school, they may not have the opportunity, as a result of not having access to Wi-Fi. Not all students enjoy the use of technology and may have opted to not vote for that reason. By creating paper copies it allows, for a greater amount of students, to vote. From my personal experience, 5-Star can be irritating, especially when there is issues with the Wi-Fi. At times it can be beneficial, in terms of easily tracking and managing the points students have accumulated.

Bryan Jimenez, reporter: I believe that the 5-Star voting process for manteca high school elections is not as effective and doesn’t account for the entirety of the school population. I personally have not heard of the new voting system until now, nor do I have the app downloaded. I also believe that most teachers would not want to stop their lesson and force students to vote, especially advanced classes. Most students also don’t choose to vote as its purely volunteer, which is why I believe that the voting system does not work or simply doesn’t account for the entire population in MHS

Izzy Gillette, reporter: I don’t believe Manteca’s voting system is an accurate representation of our schools’ population. Many students on campus don’t even bother to download the app. Some students can’t download the app at all due to storage or connection issues. Based on my observation, I noticed that not all students knew how to vote or where to go. An alternative for voting could be to make each 2nd period teacher take their classes choice of vote and make sure to account for every student in their class. The voting system should be something so that every student’s opinion can all be accounted for. This system lets every student that doesn’t have a phone or cannot download the app the chance to cast their vote!