Rising upperclassmen compete for all-school positions

This student election guide features responses from candidates for schoolwide positions. Students were surveyed on why they are running for a position, what their goals are and why they’re the best person for the job. All responses edited for grammar and length.

Vice president

Suleyman Ahmed

I bring experience, foresight, and a vision to the table. I believe Student Council must play a role in reimagining Lab from an academic, competitive place to a more holistic, innovative place. Having come to Lab freshman year, I know how unhealthy Lab’s culture can be.  Also, I’m well aware of the significant changes coming next year: I’ve interviewed principal candidates and promoted students’ opinions on semesters. With your vote, I’ll ensure the transition to next year will be as smooth as possible.

Ananya Asthana

I am running for this position because I would love to be a vessel for students’ concerns, especially given the unpredictability in school we’ve experienced this past year. I’m excited to play a larger role on a school-wide level, and I think my passion for making a difference and building relationships will be an asset. I would love to bring up more feasible ways for students to voice their concerns about classes and curricula. I’ve heard that students would like to be more involved in their academic learning, and I would love to open up that communication channel.

Constantin Carrigan

I’m running for All School VP to give back to the school that has given so much to me. As an incoming freshman, I was new to the school and didn’t know many people. One of the first people to come up to me and welcome me to Lab was the ASVP of that year Alex Azar. That friendliness has been echoed in every facet of the school throughout my past three years here. For my senior year, I want to continue that family-like connection and be a model of the acceptance that was shown towards me.

Susan Huang

I’m running for All School VP to give back to the school that has given so much to me. As an incoming freshman, I was new to the school and didn’t know many people. One of the first people to come up to me and welcome me to Lab was the ASVP of that year Alex Azar. That friendliness has been echoed in every facet of the school throughout my past three years here. For my senior year, I want to continue that family-like connection and be a model of the acceptance that was shown towards me.

Treasurer

Jeremy Ng

I am running for All-School Treasurer because I want to make funding more transparent and more accessible to clubs. I would like to allocate all clubs a base amount of money. Additionally, I want to help new club leaders navigate their way through the club-funding process. As the president of LaunchX Club, an entrepreneurship club, I also have valuable, hands-on experience with finance. I have also served on Student Council as freshman class president, meaning that I know the ins-and-outs of event planning, both on the all-school and class level.

 

Stanley Shapiro

If elected, I want to bring updated methods to ensure a club can check its financial status at any time. While clubs are provided with updates now, it is not a fluid system and it can take time for a club to figure out how much money they have to spend. I want to fix this because it will make event planning easier and allow for clubs to not worry about their finances. What sets me apart from other candidates is my willingness to work with different club leaders one on one. In order to do this job effectively, I think constant and thorough communication is required, and I will make sure to provide the time needed to do this.

 

Sara Thomas

I was on Student Council in freshman year, and I teach financial literacy to middle schoolers, so managing money and knowing where to spend it is something I am well-versed in. While I personally enjoy the all-school and grade events, I believe that the current funding for them is a major roadblock. In my experience, Student Council is generally forced to choose between hiring a DJ, providing food, or having a nicer venue. Lab’s parent community has the resources and willingness to resolve this, and I would love to explore those avenues through the position of treasurer.

 

Secretary

Marcus Chang

I’m running because for all-school secretary because I would contribute to making our school better than it already is. I can do this through my skills of organization and precision. I’ve served five years in Student Council at my old school believe that I can use those skills for being the secretary. I want to encourage more kids to be involved with our great community whether that is by improving our special events such as the dances, or making sure that all voices are heard.

Kaley Qin

I’m running for all-school secretary because it’s something I’ve never done it before and I think I would be good in this role. Although I’ve never been in a secretary position, I am a very organized person who loves planning and can stay calm under pressure. I helped organize the U-High girls swimming senior night and I kept track of who was bringing decorations or food, who was giving whose speeches, what the cost of the event was and so much more. I want to help Student Council achieve greater stability. I think members of Student Council have so much more to worry about than keeping track of attendance or documents.

Gershon Stein

I am running to be All-school-secretary because I want to help promote transparency between Student Council and the student body.  Students need to know what is happening. When students know Student Council plans they can better inform officers of what they would like to see changed or prioritized.I have extensive experience as a leader, both in school and out, serving as president of the Global Issues Club, past-treasurer of JSA, and on the Teen board of the USHMM. I stand out from other candidates through my activity in the Lab community and commitment to transparency.

 

Cultural Union president

Kepler Boonstra

I am running for all-school Cultural Union president because I love Lab and am committed to fostering an environment of learning and fun.  Being a lifer, I have so many memories that I cherish. From falling into Botany Pond to bonfires at the Point, my experience at Lab has been the greatest rollercoaster of my life.  As a CU Rep for the past three years, I’ve had so many opportunities to create events and make change in our school. I hope to continue this as all-school cultural union representative. I would really like to make Labstock a larger event.

Cultural Union vice president

Ava Kucera

I am running for all-school Cultural Union vice president because after spending this past year on the junior Student Council, I learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed helping make the Lab community come together and make them feel like their voices are being heard. I want to use this position to help support and unite the social culture at U-High, and emphasize the importance our peers have on our education and high school experience by creating the opportunities for us to come together as a student body.