(From Left to Right) Nate Liang ’25, Saraya Angbazo ’25, Ozochi Onunaku ’25, Cathy Ma ’25, Giuliana Cardinale ’25, and Zachary Godsey ’25 gather on the steps of Samuel Phillips Hall.
Three pairs of Student Body Co-President candidates remain. Following an open meet-and-greet with each pair in Paresky Commons on February 23, a second round of voting will narrow the field down to two prospective pairs who will advance to the final round debate held the first All-School Meeting (ASM) after Spring Break.
Initially composed of five pairs of Co-Presidential candidates, the first round of voting following Candidate Inquiry speeches in Lower Left on February 16 narrowed the field down to three pairs of candidates who advanced to the second round.
Current Student Body Co-President Ryan Lam ’24 pointed out the changes made to this year’s election proceedings. He emphasized the importance of hearing candidates’ ideas and offering more opportunities to interact with them before each round of voting.
“Last year the first round of voting occurred before any of the pairs had a chance to speak, and that’s pretty important. When you’re voting you want to know who the person you are voting for is, and how they are able to present themselves. So, we wanted to give every candidate a chance to speak to students before the first round of voting happened,” said Lam.
Candidate Saraya Angbazo ’25, running with Nate Liang ’25, highlighted how the role of a co-president extends beyond platforms and initiatives. She stressed the importance of being present in the Andover community beyond the scope of the election.
“Being a Co-President doesn’t just mean making these ideas and watching them become successful or not. It’s also being a friend to everyone. We’ve had such a good [time] meeting new people: we love talking to random people and hearing what they have to say about our school, hearing what they have to say about our ideas. I think our mindset as we continue is not necessarily about whether we move on to the next round… Our mindset is really just to embody what we think a co-president should mean whether we are one or not,” said Angbazo.
Ozochi Onunaku ’25, a candidate running with Cathy Ma ’25, spoke about how the diverse perspectives of Andover students inspired him to run for co-president. He touched on his past experience in the student council and his goals for the co-presidency.
“I always felt it was really interesting to see everyone’s different unique experiences, dreams, and passions, and how that defined Andover for them… The experience that I’ve accrued from student council, being able to have the opportunity to work with three sets of different Co-Presidents and seeing how student council transformed over the years has inspired me… to go for the position in [order] to represent the student body’s needs and interests. I feel as though every student has value on this campus, every student is important towards this campus, and I want to represent that in our initiatives, in our themes that we have on our platform,” said Onunaku.
Zach Godsey ’25, a candidate running with Giuliana Cardinale ’25, highlighted the student body’s wealth of ideas. He underscored how adapting and being aware of students’ sentiments on campus have the potential to spark change on campus.
“I think that the student body has so much to say. There’s a lot of voices that need to be heard. I feel like I’m well-established enough that I felt like I could really listen to what other people are saying and try to put it on a platform that people would like and try to really hear everyone in the student body of Andover and try to make those changes that people want… We want to shift the culture to be more involved and integrated into the community,” said Godsey.
Reflecting on the pressure of running for Co-President, Lam urged candidates to treat the election as a learning experience. He commended the work each pair has accomplished so far, and encouraged them to enjoy the race.
“It’s easy to be overwhelmed by this process. When you’re thinking about all this different voting, and steps in the process, and thinking about, ‘How do I carry myself and convey trust to my peers,’ [it’s] easy to get overwhelmed when you think of all these factors. But really, I think the most important thing is not getting so wrapped up in that, but taking the time to actually have fun and grow in the process. Because not many people get to have this experience super young, and there’s so many different things to learn, like being able to communicate with others, being able to connect with others. [The pairs have] all taken the first step in being super bold and putting their name forward, and now it’s [about] taking advantage of their first step,” said Lam.
