Eleanor DeHoog ’24 and Ryan Lam ’24 are Andover’s 2023-2024 Student Body Co-Presidents. DeHoog and Lam share a commitment to transparency, community building, and student well-being, and are hopeful for a promising year ahead.
Before becoming Co-Presidents, what activities and groups did you involve yourself in on campus?
Nor: “Lower year, I started doing wrestling and outdoor Track and Field. I’m a discus and shot put thrower, and I fell in love with both of the sports; [I] found really good communities there. Throughout my time at Andover, Student Council has been a huge thing for me. I’ve been a Class Rep [from my] Junior through Upper year.”
Ryan: “My journey in Andover has been more about trying to find myself, becoming more confident in who I am, as well as discovering my interests. I’ve found that in classics and chemistry… Also, I really love the soccer team here. That’s been a big, big part of my community. I was [also] a Class Rep in 11th grade where I joined Nor before becoming the Student Body Co-President.”
What motivated you to run for Student Body Co-Presidents?
Ryan: “I have two reasons. One is more personal… Pushing myself and getting out there, outside of my comfort zone, trying to challenge myself. Running for Co-President was really important to me in my personal journey. I found that I really wanted to help connect our class, not just within ourselves, but also to the school itself, [and] let our student body have more pride in and connection to the faculty administration and to the spaces here on campus.”
Nor: “I would say one of my big reasons was having role models who were in these roles before. I looked up a lot to Nigel [Savage ’23] and Sui [Yu ’23] last year, and Mary [Muromcew ’22] and Sean [Meng ’22, the year before], and being able to see the work that they did, and the passion that they carried for the role, I wanted to help continue the work that they were doing, and build into that legacy. But as well, [I wanted to be someone] that others can look up to and rely on as a friend. So much of the role is not the things that we do or the tangible outcomes that we might produce, but being able to connect with people in the student body.”
How did you both find each other and why did you choose to run together for Student Body Co-President?
Eleanor: “It was actually this week one year ago we met up. I’ve known Ryan since my Junior year, but when we started working together as Class Reps as Uppers that [was when] I was really able to see how brilliant he is. I’m always in awe of the way that he takes the time to reflect on what it is we’re doing, in terms of thinking about how whatever it is that we do might affect another person, that’s a really necessary and important skill to have as a Co-President.”
Ryan: “I feel like I’m always learning from [Nor]. [Nor is] able to use her words to convey information, and [is] able to connect with people intellectually and emotionally, through words and through actions. Together, I think we really complement each other’s strengths, and weaknesses and even though we might be different in some aspects, it really works together.”
What has been your favorite moment as Co-Presidents?
Nor: “Earlier this year for <atriculation, all of the new students lined up on the great lawn and…Ryan and I actually got to lead everyone into the [Chochran] Chapel [and] walking with a group of new students. The energy was so cool, all the returning students were there clapping the new students in. Even though that wasn’t necessarily something [new] that Ryan and I did, it’s a tradition that Co-Presidents have… It’s all of those little moments of…people within this institution supporting each other…that I find super special about our roles.”
Ryan: “Two weeks ago, on Thursday night, we filmed an academic integrity video that [all students] saw. To me, that was really cool, with all the professional lighting, we had a teleprompter after having worked with Mr. [David] Fox[, Instructor in English,] on the script, and that was the more official side of the Co-President role… That very next morning, we got pied in the face for a Moroccan earthquake fundraising. That showed to me the duality of this role and how versatile it is, where it can be serious, and then super fun.”
As Co-Presidents, you mentioned wanting to make Student Council processes more transparent. Can you share more about this initiative and how you plan to achieve it?
Ryan: “You might have seen some of our emails about ‘Please, we would love for you to come to our town hall.’ That’s basically our regular Student Council meetings… We’re opening it up to the student body. Anyone can come, listen in, and hear what is going on. Anyone can come and bring their own ideas to the table… Also, I feel like we’ve been pretty good about our Instagram, follow @norandryan, where we share our meeting notes, we share our small victories that happen.”
Nor: “The words that we used [in our platform] were transparency and involvement, and that second part about involvement is so crucial to the work that we’re doing. [In addition to] town hall…we’re also establishing our community committee [this week], which will be a cross-section of the student body. We’re trying to get representatives across the student body, as many as we can into one room to discuss a lot of school policy changes… All these different people on campus, students who are passionate about making change in our community, [we wanted to help] to bring them together, [and make change] with the help and support of student council’s funds, and provide access to administration, and the resources that we have in our platform.”
One of your campaign promises was to create “Oasis Spaces” and a “Café Corner” around campus. Can you explain these concepts and how they will benefit the student body?
Nor: “Oasis Spaces are [stress-free] study spaces around campus, like hammocks on the lawn and refinishing spaces on campus. Our goal is for students to be using these spaces as a way to relax and come out of their dorm instead of locking themself in their room to study, and instead hanging out with friends… There’s a spirit on campus where students introduce themselves and they hang out. Even as a Senior, I’m sitting at tables and I’m talking with people I wouldn’t usually hang out with.”
What do you consider the biggest challenges you may face in your roles as Co-Presidents?
Nor: “As Co-Presidents, we anticipate several challenges in our roles. There is not enough time, as we only have a year to make changes. We aim to sustain our plans beyond our term, as setting up a continued legacy is crucial. Re-establishing traditions is another challenge we face, necessitating a balance between preserving the past and adapting to the present… Effective delegation of responsibilities and reshaping class representative power to enhance student involvement are also on our agenda. We hope to inspire younger students and equip them with the skills they will need in the years to come.”
Looking into the future, what legacy do you hope to leave as Student Body Co-Presidents at Andover with your short year as Co-Presidents?
Ryan: “For me, a lot of the things we do for small interactions is towards this goal of trying to create and encourage our culture of students that we want to proactively connect with each other with opportunities and spaces and the school. Having more pride with the school instead of shutting off and disengaging.”
Nor: “It starts with a legacy of gratitude, where expressing thankfulness is not merely a formality, but a genuine practice. We are committed to fostering interactions with others and promoting sociability among students, creating a vibrant community where simple gestures, like sharing excitement about a friend’s wave on the paths, become cherished moments… Our goal is to create a lovable Andover by nurturing a strong sense of community, where people are at the heart of what makes the institution special.”
What’s one piece of advice you would give to a new student at Andover?
Ryan: “Please don’t have fear, what I mean by that is don’t be limited by what you think you can do, try all opportunities. Andover has so many resources… We’re the only high school with an archaeological institution, two museums, and an archivist.”
Nor: “At the end of the day, you’ll always have yourself. I’ve found that it’s essential to seek perfection of character. For the past nine years, three to four times per week, I’ve written down my values and set them in place. I make sure to take my own experience into account and find my role models. I look for the characteristics that I want to create. Lastly, set tangible goals and live your values.”
Community was a main part of your campaign. How would you describe this ‘Community’ you want to build in three words and why?
Nor: “Luck and Love. Our choice to sign every email with ‘Luck and Love’ underscores our commitment to these two qualities. ‘Luck’ represents our desire to wish the best for each member of our community, acknowledging that life can be unpredictable, [and] ‘Love’ symbolizes the emotional connection and sense of belonging that we aim to nurture within the community.”
Ryan: “Sharing Authentic Joy. ‘Share Authentic Joy’ is a powerful reminder of our mission. It conveys our commitment to creating a community where students can be themselves, experience genuine happiness, and most importantly, share that joy with others to be one community.”
