Your guide to the 2022-23 Student Council elections

Mental health continues to be a huge issue at Lab — a lot of people feel unsupported by the current systems we have. Currently, the administration allows for seven absences per semester before any disciplinary action. Students are allowed five mental health days, but these five days count toward those seven absences. If elected, I would like to re-think the allotted absences and have the mental he...

I would like to create a more inclusive student community by developing events such as Culture Day. Given we interact with most of our peers primarily in competitive classroom environments, engaging in these events will allow us to see each other in relaxed social settings. This enables us to bond with each other and form ties to Lab for years to come. Currently, I’m the PR representative for t...

If I am elected all-school president, I want to raise awareness about the mental health days that Lab gives us; I want teachers to give positive responses when students ask for an extension for mental health reasons; I want to get food trucks outside of the school for lunch to diversify food options. I also want to push in favor of a later start time as much as possible. I have experienced several mental health iss...

I will make dances and fun events occur more often. I am going to try my best to lower prices in the cafeteria and create more meal options. I will advertise sporting events better at this school. I will strive to lessen assemblies that are felt by the community to be unnecessary. I will strive to make athletic facilities in the gymnasium more accessible to students during school and on the weeken...

If elected, I will push for more student voice in all aspects of U-High. The student body will have the option to recommend speakers for assemblies so students feel even more engaged. Students will also be empowered to get more support from Student Council to create their own committees to improve Lab. I established Lab's accessibility committee without direct support from Student Council. I brin...

I would try to make many things more convenient for Lab students, with acts like adding paper towel and mask dispensers throughout the school. I would also try to focus on mental health, making sure that no teacher can assign students to do homework during their mental health breaks. As the vice president of multiple different clubs, I have a lot of leadership experience that I can bring to the t...

I would lead the repainting of Café Lab, monthly pancake breakfast, Lab events like dances, bonfires, prom, inclusion and equity in the Lab community. My experience taking photos around school has given me a better understanding of Lab. I have been able to build relationships with more people and contribute to the community through the U-High Midway and yearbook. I aim to be approachable; p...

If elected as the all-school vice president, I will push to revise the Student Handbook to allow for “mental health days” that don’t count as absences. I’ll also work to establish a system in addition to the bias incident reporting Form (which requires contact information) for students to anonymously report faculty for DEI-related infractions. Finally, I hope to work with student advocacy g...

If elected as your Cultural Union president, I want to expand the number of all school events from three to four. Having four all-school events instead of three will significantly increase school spirit. Before 2019, Lab used to have three dances: homecoming, the winter formal and spring fling. I really want to bring back this third dance or another possible all-school event by raising funds and poss...

I want more opportunities for our community to share our identities and cultural backgrounds through implementing Culture Day as a part of Spirit Week. If elected, I would have more Spirit Week variety (Adam Sandler Day, Movie Character Day or 2000s Day) and get students’ suggestions for them. I also want a more streamlined process for submitting music suggestions for dances! Students need a say...

If I was elected as Cultural Union vice president, I'd push for events to be decided collectively rather than simply by Student Council. That would allow for events that a wider range of students would enjoy. As someone who has upheld several leadership roles at U-High — whether that's leading clubs, being a part of the Maroon Key Society or being a DEI facilitator — I believe that I possess st...

I want to have more opportunities for students of all grades to interact and have fun together. We can do this through friendly competitions and after school activities where students can spend time with other grades and just relax. The competitions would be similar to the Hunt but on a smaller scale and more frequent to promote more school-wide inclusion. I've always been good at organizing thing...

When elected, I hope to better the community spirit at Lab School. I want to plan meaningful assemblies and events where people want to participate and have fun experiences together. I feel like certain things like sports, school assemblies, and general events are great places where the school can come together and create positive experiences for everyone. I started to plan events during the pandemic...

One of the main things I want to focus on is ensuring that students are informed about what is happening at Student Council meetings and making sure that club meetings and workshops have an opportunity to present ideas to Student Council. I have been at Lab for 14 years and have been in the shoes of the students, making me connected to their desires and hopes for the schools. I have also taken part in ...

If elected, I would like to keep a more transparent documentation of Student Council's plans from meetings and discussions in order to receive more effective input from the student body during the planning stages of school events to ultimately result in events that better reflect the high school population's interests. I am a good candidate for all-school secretary because I have experience taki...

I want to rethink how meeting minutes are shared by drafting a brief report for each Student Council meeting and posting it on the appropriate daily faculty/student bulletin; I will also encourage each grade level to use their grade-specific bulletin for any announcements. I am able to recognize the critical role that Student Council plays in addressing issues in our community since I have alrea...

If elected, I will first ensure easier access to the Student Council website and meeting notes. Currently, it is not simple and straightforward to view what Student Council is working on, and one way I will increase transparency is by posting links and QR codes to the website and notes in Schoology and around the school. Additionally, I will create an online poll and in-person drop-box for students...

I would work to increase the budget, improve Student Council transparency in managing and allocating their budget. I would also expand funding available for student run projects; both for our school and our community. These plans will be achieved by launching a fundraising campaign and a remodeled communication mechanism to grant students more clarity, voice and choice. I have developed leadership, organization, c...

I believe that transparency between Student Council and the student body is critical, so the first change I want to implement is for Student Council to put out monthly updates on what they are currently doing as well as plans they have. Another change I'd like to implement is the creation of open student forums hosted by the Student Council to best address concerns that the student body has. For th...

I would like more funding for sports and school clubs as well as experimenting with different things to try and boost learning. I believe that we should make it possible for clubs with innovative ideas to try new things. For example, laser tag would promote creativity and healthy competition. This will hopefully improve staff to student interactions and boost the overall social interactions between stu...

Only a handful of clubs use the $8,000 available in club funding. I want to incentivize clubs to use the funds available to them by working with Cultural Union representatives. Also, I will improve and expand the Club Treasurer Training Workshop to explain the budgeting process to club leaders in more detail. Additionally, I want to start a program that focuses on educating the Lab community about socio-e...

I would push to increase collaboration and communication between all bodies of the school, including those who hold leadership positions and those who do not. I plan to do this by scheduling regular meetings between Student Council members, junior peer leaders, and junior DEI peer facilitators as well as by increasing the number of student feedback platforms. These will also be used to foster active s...

If elected, I would get snacks and possibly concession stands at grade-wide events like sports games. Another idea I would push for is more seating around the school for high schoolers to eat, socialize and work. Leadership and a sense of community are two key components of being a successful president. I've been at Lab since I was 6 and know the grade very well. I was middle school president in...

If I am elected I would like to make more open spaces for people to study during the free periods and open periods. I believe there are not enough sitting areas for students to hang out and do homework in. I would also like to make actions made by the administration more transparent. I believe that a leader is someone who is a good listener. Over the course of last year I was responsible for te...

Primarily, I would reform Student Council to make it more efficient and effective by restructuring the processing of bills and by fighting for more independence and agency to be given to Student Council. I would also address mental health by trying to get Student Council representation on homework policies and creating publicized feedback forms that are anonymous. Furthermore, I will attempt to improve techn...

I want to reform the Voter Education Program at Lab to be an annual event instead of occurring every four years so all eligible seniors can get registered. I also want to restart the adverse childhood experiences initiative for in-person school to create more mental health resources for students. My main goal is to improve communication with students, hold ourselves accountable and keep people inf...

If elected, I plan to put in place a mentor-mentee program between students in the high school and those in the middle school. Older students would offer helpful advice and at the same time build and sharpen their leadership skills. I will listen to student voices and advocate for a stronger mental health support system for our grade. Finally, I aim to organize a picnic at Promontory Point where stude...

If I were elected, I would push to make excused absences easier for people to get, especially for extracurriculars and clubs. I would also encourage the student body to come to open meetings and schedule town halls occasionally to have direct input and feedback. I am a member of the robotics team and many sports teams. I have dealt with many of these problems first hand. I will use these experie...

I’d like to prioritize two new ideas: First, I will spearhead an initiative to shed more light on summer internships and colleges, one of the biggest stressors for tenth graders. I hope to work with our Lab alums, who have successfully navigated this process and our college counselors to fill this knowledge gap. Second, I plan to help improve, define and communicate the way Student Council interac...

The rest areas on the second and third floors are always occupied during the school day, so I want to create more comfortable seating arrangements of fun and soft chairs. I have also heard complaints about the absence of quality feminine hygiene products in the bathrooms. This is a very serious issue that directly affects the lives of the many classmates that need them and I will aim to address it as...

Dashiell Smith declined the Midway's request to fill out the election guide form.