A secondary five student at École secondaire Sieur-de-Coulonge has won a regional award for a piece of journalism he wrote about the importance of getting involved in student government.

On May 7, Seth Martin was one of about 20 students from high schools across the Outaouais who were celebrated for articles they had written and submitted to be considered for a Plume Étudiante de l’Outaouais prize.

While Martin’s piece was not among the gold, silver or bronze winners, it was chosen as the best piece submitted by his high school, and Martin attended the awards gala earlier this month to collect the honour.

“It’s strange, I’m not used to it, it’s a novel experience,” he said, of receiving the award.

“When I went up on stage, it was really fun to see all these other laureate and what they brought and how much there is in our region [ . . . ] We go a lot on social media, we get lost in American culture, but there is so much here, and [this experience] just kind of valorised that for me.”

Martin’s winning article was titled Un député, ça sert à quoi? (What is a representative for?) and was first published in the school’s student newspaper, ESSC Express, which was restarted this year thanks to French teacher Julie Fleury.

Fleury said Martin, who she’s been teaching for two years, is one of six students who contribute regularly to the newspaper.

“Some of them have really discovered a knack for writing,” she told THE EQUITY in French.

She said Martin’s writing has gotten significantly better over the years, pointing to his ability to understand and express nuance as an example of his matured style.

“I’m so proud he won the prize because he’s been making a big effort,” Fleury said.
Martin said he wrote the article with the hopes it would encourage fellow classmates to run for student council.

“I was part of the student council and I wanted more people to participate in the upcoming election,” Martin said.

“I really wanted people to get interested in it, get intrigued . . . because people don’t know, especially for the first cycle students who may not be as familiar with the concept, so I wanted to do my part.”

Martin said writing, and being known for what he writes, is a new thing for him, and not entirely comfortable.

“I’m a bit of an awkward sort, so I was a bit afraid to go into things like student council, at first, or to go into writing or publishing your own stuff,” he said. “It’s a bit scary, so it took a long time for me to get comfortable with that.”

He said getting involved in student council during his second year of high school is what first started pushing him outside of his comfort zone.

“Civil engagement gave me something to do with my time, because otherwise I didn’t see much meaning in what I was doing at school. I wanted to do more [ . . . ] I want to create stuff, I want to be original, and produce something of value.”

La Plume Étudiante de l’Outaouais has been celebrating student writing across the region for 23 years, and is a collaboration between Le Droit and the non-profit organization La Plume de l’Outaouais. Many ESSC students have been recognized by this program in previous years.

Martin’s winning article will be published by Le Droit, and can also be read below.

Saviez-vous qu’il y a à peine six ans, en 2017, l’école secondaire Sieur-de-Coulonge (ESSC) ne permettait pas le cellulaire nulle part dans l’école? C’est écrit dans le procès-verbal du conseil d’élèves à cette époque. Eh oui, hors de question de regarder TikTok ou de prendre des photos à l’intérieur de l’établissement!

Ce sont les élèves députés qui ont consulté leurs camarades, leurs amis, ainsi que l’opinion des autres écoles pour proposer un changement, soit celui de permettre l’utilisation du cellulaire dans l’école.

Je vous parle de cette anecdote pour aborder ce qu’est un débuté ainsi que sa fonction. Un député, c’est vous. Un de vous qui propose le changement pour vous. L’intérêt, c’est d’avoir une voix concrète dans le fonctionnement de son école.

Députés engagés recherchés

Je vais être franc, notre école a besoin de députés engagés plus que jamais. Depuis la pandémie de 2020, le conseil d’élèves ne cesse de décliner. Aujourd’hui, combien d’entre vous connaissez l’existence de ce conseil, voire des projets étudiants qui y sont entrepris? Y pensez-vous? Ce n’est pas pour pointer du doigt mais c’est la réalité d’aujourd’hui.

Selon la Revue canadienne de l’éducation en 2014, les comités d’élèves maintiennent que « le comité des élèves améliore les relations interpersonnelles entre les élèves et les adultes de l’école, en plus de contribuer à améliorer le climat dans l’école. » En d’autres mots, un bon comité d’élèves a deux bienfaits qui sont de renforcer la confiance des élèves envers l’établissement scolaire et d’encourager la réflexion critique.
Être député à l’ESSC, ça veut dire beaucoup. C’est votre chance de redonner à votre école et de débattre des enjeux qui vous tiennent à cœur. Vous pouvez aussi inclure cette expérience dans votre CV. Il ne faut pas laisser toutes les décisions à la direction puisque les élèves ont aussi leur mot à dire.