Campaign slogans and glossy flyers will soon paper campus as the list of 12 Student Council Presidential candiates was finalized this past Wednesday.
Haryuni Sumawijaya ‘12, Brianna Barros ‘12, Uday Singh ‘12, Daniel Gottfried ‘12, Colton Dempsey ‘12, Min Jae Yoo’12, Hayato Lee ‘12, Isabel Knight ‘12, Paul Noh ‘12, Omegar Chavolla-Zacarias ‘12, Khalil Flemming ’12 and Brandon Wong ’12 all plan on running for the position.
The 12 candidates running this year is a decrease from last year’s 18 candidates.
“It is true that there are less candidates this year…but [lack of] quantity does not necessarily entail poor quality,” said Mike Mackay ’11, Student Council President.
Due to the fewer number of candidates, this year’s election will only feature three rounds of elimination.
In order to officially enter the election process, students had to submit a one-page platform and acquire 500 signatures from members of the student body. These prerequisites were due this past Wednesday at 4:3 pm.
Of the 12 students that have fulfilled these prerequisites, three will be eliminated next week during the first round of eliminations.
Three more will be eliminated in the second round, where votes will be cast after the candidates produce campaign videos and participate in a debate. The three elimination rounds will bring the number of candidates to a final three.
Mackay is confident that these rounds will leave three candidates that are passionate, committed, innovative and professional.
“The kids who are running this year are a great crowd of kids. My only advice to them is to be genuine,” he added.
“Although most people say the speeches are the most important round, making that first contact with groups of people on campus that you would not have necessarily met is equally,” Mackay continued.
“Our voter base is a lot more prudent than other high schools,” he added. “Our electorate is particularly focused on the platforms and the ideas, not necessarily the who knows who aspect of school politics.”
As the elections grow nearer, candidates will be offering up their platforms for student judgement.
Lee believes he can end what he sees as an unhealthy bookstore monopoly. “Students should be mailed their booklists before [they] arrive on campus, so students can order textbooks online, save hundreds of dollars per subject and have them in the mail room,” said Lee.
Singh hopes to create a more powerful Bluecard capable of paying for laundry machines in dorms and an expansion of the current Big Blue Bikes program.
However, Noh looks to establish a change machine in Gearge Washingotn Hall. “I just want to make life more comfortable for people,” he said.
Students will vote for the first round of elimination on Thursday, February 17.
