BY EMMA HUERTA
On March 14, all of the classrooms at CCHS listened intently to Student Government Association (SGA) sponsor Natalie Flaten’s announcement. Although students usually tend to ignore or talk over the daily announcements, this was not the case with this exciting Thursday afternoon.
Flaten was announcing the results of the recent SGA officer elections, which elicited attention from students both in and out of the club. This was due to the schoolwide participation the election incited.
Campaigns for the election first began after a meeting that prospective candidates were required to attend in order to run. Along with showing up to the meeting, they needed the signed approvals from administrators and peers.
“To run for office, you need signatures of approval from other students and things signed by people from the office,” sophomore, and now Second Vice President, Drew Okun said. “You also need a campaign speech. Once that’s accepted, you submit your campaign materials for approval.”
“I wanted everyone to understand that their voice matters and, to do that, I personalized my campaign more than commercializing it.”
Afterward, the candidates campaigned and promoted their run for office for a week and a half, complete with the usual posters, banners and social media posts as well as lanyards, pins, T-shirts and PopSocket phone accessories.
“I used a slogan to get people to remember my name and I appealed to the student body by speaking to them directly when they had concerns or wanted to talk about the election in general, instead of going to social media to make a general statement,” Class of 2022 President Breckyn Mayer said. “I wanted everyone to understand that their voice matters and, to do that, I personalized my campaign more than commercializing it.”
Students then voted in their personalization classes on March 11 and March 12 after watching all of the candidates’ speeches.
The newly-elected Class of 2022 officers are Samantha Winick as secretary, Noa Pogany as treasurer, Madison Smith as vice president and Breckyn Mayer as president.
“I do know everyone (I think) because of being in SGA this year,” Okun said. “Planning for next year is highly dependent on communication and we do a lot of deciding during the SGA [class], but if planning out of school is necessary, then it will be done.”
For the Class of 2021, Madison Valachovic is corresponding secretary, Maya Goldberg is recording secretary, Brooke Bartel is treasurer and both Katarina Esquivel and Victoria Pera were re-elected as vice president and president, respectively.
The new Class of 2020 officers are Kimber Counts as historian, Madison Piper as secretary, Lindsey Pardon as treasurer, Reece Abrahamoff as vice president and Nicole Nelson as president.
The SGA officers (which represent the school as a whole) are Paulina Lopez as secretary, Kimberly Slinkosky as treasurer, Emily Aaron as first vice president, Drew Okun as second vice president and Taylor Pinna as president.
With so many people involved in the planning and execution of schoolwide activities through the club, the new SGA officer elects have to make sure that constant collaboration is in effect in order to be the most productive.
I’m really confident in the kids who got elected into their positions [and] that we’re going to have a good year next year.”
“I do know everyone (I think) because of being in SGA this year,” Okun said. “Planning for next year is highly dependent on communication and we do a lot of deciding during the SGA [class], but if planning out of school is necessary, then it will be done.”
As the club sponsor, Flaten feels excited for the upcoming school year and is content with the enthusiasm shown not only by the winners, but also by all of those who campaigned and demonstrated interest in giving back to their school.
“We had a lot of great kids running who brought in a lot of ideas and things they wanted to implement next year, so we would’ve been great however the elections turned out,” Flaten said. “I’m really confident in the kids who got elected into their positions [and] that we’re going to have a good year next year.”
Although the stress-inducing election chaos is over, Flaten believes that the officers’ journey for a better CCHS has only just begun.
“Like I told even those who won, your campaigning doesn’t stop,” Flaten said. “Great things don’t happen in comfort zones. You have to move past it, and if you want people to be invested in the projects that you want to do next year, you have to get out there just like you did when you campaigned.”
Photo by Cassie Hartmann
