By: Raider Weekly Staff
The Student Council election is going virtual this year. The election will be held on Wednesday, October 7th. To help you get to know the candidates, we asked them what their primary focus would be if elected. Here’s what they said:
President
Mirna Aziz
“If I were to be president, my main focus would honestly be to make the most out of our current situation. I know with everything going on we can’t really do much, but I wanna change that obviously in the safest way possible.”
Jack Kukolic
“If I’m elected as president, I am going to be focused on making the best of the situation we’re in. I am going to try to develop ways we can still have a great school year together, while staying six feet apart, of course. My goal will be to listen to the feedback from all grade levels and provide the student body with what everyone wants, not just one grade.”
Maximus Guorgui
“If I were elected, my main focus would be to let the students across all grades shape out how they want their STA Raider experience to be. No idea is too little or too out there, and I believe that if we all get together and put in some really great ideas, we can make this year fun despite dealing with Covid-19.”
Secretary
Elizabeth Mendez:
“If I were elected, my main focus would be trying to meet the Grade Nine’s expectations for high school. There are so many great opportunities and events at STA that they may not be able to experience, so I want to try my best to make sure they don’t miss out!”
Gabrielle Diez:
“My main focus as Secretary, if I was elected, is to make sure that this school year is as enjoyable and memorable as possible despite the current circumstances. I would ensure that the student council is organised and runs as smoothly as possible and that the STA community feels seen and heard.”
Robin Olonipekun
“My main focus would be providing the student body with the information and tools that they need to become more involved in what we do at school. I think that having that transparency will build a sense of trust and bridge the social gap between administration, Student Council, and the rest of the students at our school. I want to aid in creating a memorable experience for the STA kids this year, especially for the Grade Nines who may not be adjusting so well with the changing circumstances. My goal for our Student Council meetings is to hear everyone’s point of view and organize ideas in such a way that our deadlines are completely clear, and we are able to achieve the tasks at hand.”
Treasurer
Sofia Silva
“If I were Treasurer this school year, my main focus would be to work collaboratively with other council members to ensure that we have the funds to support causes you care about (whether it’s for school events or charity work). To adapt to the current situation, I will also focus on transparency with students, as well as thinking innovatively while still listening to everyone’s thoughts. My priority as Treasurer would be looking to the future for new opportunities to earn/distribute funds and to make sure that students’ ideas are supported and executed well. So, vote Sofia!”
Ana Mayer
“I would focus on getting money for the school. Since I have all the necessary skills, I’ll be able to spend it effectively. I am planning to put my efforts towards making the school year as fun as possible with various events: Virtual Coffee House, Deco-Door Day and grade meet-up/dance.”
Jessie Peng
“As treasurer, my main focus would be to ensure all students feel like they have transparency with the student council; not only with how we budget our funds but also to get a say in what student council should invest in. I would do this by releasing monthly updates about our spending and polls to get our student body voice.”
Grade Eleven Representatives
Female Candidates
Emma Pascu
“If I am elected Grade Eleven Representative, I will ensure that no person is left behind. I want to make sure that my entire class graduates feeling fulfilled and satisfied with their high school experience! This means ensuring that while we cannot be inside the school for events and classes, online events and classes are as engaging as possible. I plan to be a positive voice for not just my fellow grade elevens, but for all the students of STA! I believe it is important for us to come together during this time, so I can’t wait to organize virtual events to keep our school spirit alive.”
Renee Vucemilo
“My main objective as Grade Eleven Representative would be to focus on the mental health of STA students through positive initiatives such as online events and get-togethers. I also plan on using the suggestions of STA students to improve the quality of online learning and other aspects of social distancing in school.”
Male Candidates
Marcus Dela Cruz
“If elected, I plan to focus on two significant aspects. Number one is increasing transparency and communication between the school and the students because in this day and age of COVID many students are lost and unaware of things that are happening. Number two, being the more prominent focus of my campaign, is to increase the fun. Though COVID has ruined most of the fun parts of our school year, I plan to increase school spirit and pride through potential events, COVID permitting.”
Tomi Ayeni
“If I am elected as the Grade Eleven Male representative, the main thing I will focus on will be mental health awareness. During the age of COVID, I want people to know about the various resources they have within/outside the STA community. I will also focus on planning various socially distanced activities that students can participate in during this school year.”
Grade Ten Representatives
Female Candidates
Anh Bui
“As the previous Grade Nine Rep, I pledge to use my experience to help Grade 10s right away by improving communication between online students and staff. Admin has also approved my ideas for spirit weeks and game nights with Among Us/ Kahoot as part of my plan to increase school spirit during social distancing. Check out @voteanhbui on Instagram for more details and campaign memes, and if you don’t mind- Vote Anh Bui for Grade 10 Rep!”
Kristen Wells
“My main focus, if I am elected, is to give the students a voice. A voice where their ideas can be heard and taken into consideration. With the current COVID-19 situation, it has become more difficult to communicate within the student body, and I want to be the one to improve this problem (lack of communication).”
Male Candidates
Jad Dennaoui
“My focus this year is to improve communications between students, Student Council, and administration. It’s always been a one-sided battle, and I want us regular students to have a strong voice in our STA community.”
Jameson Kukolic
“My main focus is to be what the people need at any given time. I want to be the voice of others that don’t have one.”
Grade Nine Representatives
Female Candidates
Ava Maharajh
“My main focus, if I was elected, is that I will be ‘your positive voice in a time of uncertainty.’ I can assure my peers that during this school year -which is historic- I will live up to the motto of STA, which is ‘equality, truth, excellence.’ The situation we are all in is unique, but I am up to the challenge! I look forward to balancing the academics, social presence, and being the voice of the Grade Nine student body!”
Kristina Bachynska,
“If I were elected, my main focus would be supporting and uniting our community. Nowadays, we are facing a lot of hardship, such as a global pandemic, and we have to stay together in order to overcome them. We must remember that alone we are strong, together we are stronger!”
Michelle Baulin
“If I were to be elected as the Grade Nine Student Representative, my primary focus would be to make sure every single voice is heard. I will focus on bringing your ideas into consideration, even the craziest ones. In our current, extraordinary situation, I will make it my primary focus to listen to the requests of other students and try to make our first year at STA memorable.”
Michelle Peng
“If I were elected, my main focus would be ensuring that any questions students have are answered, given the virtual environment. I would also make sure to convey the ideas of students and incorporate them into my actions.”
Naomi Ogunjobi
“My main focus, if elected as Grade Nine Rep, would be for everyone to be heard. It’s so important to me that every single opinion from every single race, gender, and religion is heard. I would like to be active within the Grade Nine community and let people know that I’m open to talk. They can feel welcome talking to me and give me any requests they have to make the school community a better place for everyone!”
Retaj Saleh
“I will try to make high school a fun, spirited, and an enjoyable place, and make sure everybody’s voices are heard. I will try to make everyone comfortable in the school.”
Tia Mehrotra
“If I were elected as Grade Nine Representative, my main goal would be to help my fellow Grade Nines adapt to the new school environment and establish a good sense of community. I believe that a proper sense of community is what we need to feel connected to our new school. Therefore, if I was elected I would try my best to connect my grade with the school, students, and staff by helping plan activities tailored to our interests/needs such as a virtual open mic night, virtual movie night, and a virtual games night with Among Us, Fall Guys, Catan, etc. I would like to make sure we have a strong voice within the school community despite being online.”
Tia Naim
“If I’m voted Grade Nine Representative, I want to be able to give students the opportunity to get closer to fulfilling what they want to do when they’re older. Whether that be a doctor, lawyer, or interior designer, every student should be able to have the opportunity to learn more about the career path they want to take.”
Acclaimed positions:
Vice-presidents: Lourd Yousif, David Ribkoff
Male Grade Nine Representative: Emmanuel Nera