Jayshawn Fuller and Hannah Berkowitz: Abbot
Why did you two decide to run for cluster co-presidents?
Fuller: So this is my second year on cluster council. Last year I was the dorm representative for Carriage House. This year, I am the social functions head and it’s been [a] really great experience getting involved in Abbot. Everyone here as we mentioned in our platform, is so spirited and so enthusiastic. Wanting to be a part of that and [making] Abbot a place where everyone wants to be and somewhere where everyone wants to stay. Certainly that was the thing that motivated me.
Berkowitz: I [have] a similar thing – we just love the spirit here, and we thought that we were the people to get [things] done.
What made you guys decide to run together and how did you guys meet?
Berkowitz: Well, he says we met in this awesome class we took together, but I am sure we met before that. I asked Jayshawn if he wanted to run with me because we were in [a] class together, and everything he said sounded really intelligent and interesting. I thought he was a really nice guy, and he lived in Abbot.
Fuller: She was really funny, and she had a great personality. I thought she would be perfect for representing Abbot, and all the spirit that she would bring in that aspect [would be] great.
What are your main goals for the term? What do you hope to accomplish?
Berkowitz: My biggest and [most] favorite thing on my platform is getting to assign a charity to every cluster next year. [I also look forward to] making more cluster events and doing fun [munches and] games. That should be a really great hit.
Fuller: For me, because I have lived in Abbot for all three years, and I’ve seen many of my friends leave… my biggest goal is working [on making] Abbot a place for people to really feel the aspect of community – really to make the walk worth it.
Malika Dia and David Kwon: Pine Knoll
What do you think is the most important quality for someone in your position or in student government?
Kwon: I think honesty is the best quality that needs to be used if you are running for any student position. Because the whole goal [of] you running is to show your ideas and [saying] what you want to accomplish, even if you don’t accomplish them, you still want to try as best you can to do so. You also want to be honest and open about that.
Dia: I think open-mindedness is good – just being someone that is driven. But if you are too fixated on one specific idea, it’s very hard to listen to others and incorporate others’ ideas into yours to make them better. So, I think one of the things very important in this position, just in general really, [is] taking the time to listen to others ideas, work well with others and not be too strong-headed because other pope have a lot to share.
How did you meet your running mate?
Kwon: I don’t actually remember how I met her. I don’t actually think there was one specific moment that we remember. It might have been a cluster munch or maybe the new student orientation… Malika is an amazing, funny, honest, but [also] responsible person, and I would say… that she is the better half of our co-presidency. So when I was thinking about who to run with, she was my first choice.
Dia: This is a really great opportunity because I’m really good friends with him… I think being good friends helps a lot but I [also] think our personalities work well together. We are sort of opposites but it creates a very equal dynamic.
Susan Yun and Robert Williams: Flagstaff
Why did you two decide to run for cluster co-presidents?
Yun: Robert and I were working as Social Functions Heads for the past year, and we both kind of thought that using our experiences, we would make pretty good cluster co-presidents. It was something that I always admired. I’m good friends with Sloane [Sambuco] ’16, and I saw how she developed her cluster co-presidency, how she became more of a leader in the Andover community, and that’s something that I could see myself doing.
Williams: So when I came as a new Lower last year, I became really good friends with Amanda [Krakauer] ’15, the Cluster President at that time, and we became really close during orientation. So I began helping her clean up after and set up munches, and I became really involved in the cluster. So when I became really close with Mr. Hession, I [already] felt pretty invested in the cluster, and for me, coming from a small school, it [was] important [to] give back to this cluster that has given me so much.
What do you think is the most important quality for a president to have?
Yun: I definitely think having good leadership qualities, being able to speak publicly, being able to understand those around you, having compassion and being able to listen to your peers [are all important]. If [students] have any issues or problems that they wanted to talk to you about, being able to implement those ideas and having a good relationship with the administration.
Williams: I think besides the obvious ones like being a role model and being a standard bearer if you will, I think communication is really important serving as a student leader… so being able to know the people in your cluster and being able to know who you’re serving while at the same time being able to effectively communicate with the administration.
Editor’s note: Susan Yun is a News Editor for The Phillipian.
Alexander Emerson and Alexandria Ma: West Quad North
What do you think are the most important qualities for a cluster co-president?
Ma: We both really wanted to be cluster [presidents] who were approachable and more involved in cluster activities and events. [We also] really wanted to get to know each and every person in our cluster because we wanted to foster a sense of community and pride.
Emerson: We’re both prefects this year so we wanted to take the mentality [of student leaders] and open that up to the whole cluster. Just be there for everybody in the cluster.
What are your main objectives for your term?
Ma: We have two main objectives on our platform and they’re both kind of fostering this sense of community. The first one is making the cluster [a] home for every single student. So it could be [for] day students, new students, and making sure that everybody is really welcome. Our second one is cluster pride, which we think West Quad North is lacking a little bit.
What do you think is special about your cluster?
Emerson: I think West Quad North is kind of the best of both worlds. It’s separated enough from campus that you kind of have a distinct line between work and home. So you get your school work during the day and then you can go home to your dorm. But then it’s also not too far. I think that’s one of the greatest things about West Quad North. We also have this beautiful quad in the middle. I think that space isn’t used as much as it could be. That’s another couple of things on our platform. We’re going to try to foster use of the quad a little more.
Will Nuga and Laurel Wain: West Quad South
Will Nuga and Laurel Wain
Why did you two decide to run for cluster co-presidents?
Wain: I wanted to run because I’ve been on cluster council for two years and I really like being involved with the cluster. I had a really good relationship with Ms. Dolan, so I wanted to continue that [relationship with her].
Nuga: I wanted to run because I’ve never been in an official position here at Andover. Especially as an Upper, I only have a year left here, so [I thought that I] might as well try new things out.
What do you think are the most important qualities for a cluster co-president?
Wain: I think you should [have] good communication skills because you need to be communicating between the cluster dean and also your peers. Then, confidentiality because you’re also involved with DCs.
Nuga: Also, a general sense of responsibility. You have to be very alert, and you have to be able to take care of all of the [duties] that [are] required in that position.
What are your main objectives for your term?
Wain: [In] our platform, we have [proposals] like hosting a dance on the quads, [starting] a scooter rental system and most importantly, [getting] a West Quad South geotag for Snapchat. I don’t know, I think there’s been a lot of buzz about West Quad South this past year and we kind of wanted to—
Nuga: —make West Quad South great again.
Wain: Yeah, stray away from that stigma a little bit and get everyone back on track.
