It’s May, and we all know what that means! It’s warm, sunny, AP tests have just finished for some unlucky upperclassmen, and the members of the Mountain Lakes High School 2018-2019 Student Government have been voted in! A few dedicated Lakers have been selected to represent the different grade levels.
“Sounds great,” you think. But you also might be wondering, “Wait, who ARE these students?” Thanks for asking! We were just about to get to that.
We had the pleasure to interview some of these SGA members to see what’s in store for next year:
Rising Sophomore Members of the SGA
Jason Ding will be the class president for the Class of 2021 next year. He is a returning member of the SGA and a freshman who plays baseball and soccer. He is also part of the debate team, entrepreneurship club, and ski club.
Emre Andican, vice president of the Class of 2021, is also a returning member of the SGA. He is a freshman who plays two sports and is part of a good amount of clubs. He would describe himself as, “annoying, deep thinking, [and] confident.”
Rising Junior Members of the SGA
Sandhya Rajagopalan, the returning class president of the Class of 2020, is a sophomore who is a Mountaineer editor, runs on the cross country team, and is part of lots of clubs. She would describe herself as, “courteous, loyal, and maybe funny.”
Judy Xie, the returning vice president of the Class of 2020, is a sophomore who plays field hockey and runs. She would describe herself as “tired, stressed, [and inundated by] APs.”
Q&A’s
Why did you decide to run for SGA?
- Jason Ding: “I thought it would be an honor to get our class’s voice heard to make benefiting changes.”
- Emre Andican: “…I was already a part of it and it would be unethical for me not to.”
- Sandhya Rajagopalan: “…I thought it would be something fun to try and I ended up really loving it, so I continued to be a part of it.”
- Judy Xie: “I like talking to Sandhya and setting up things.”
What is your favorite thing about MLHS?
- Jason Ding: “The great community of students. (And the chicken boats are pretty good.)”
- Emre Andican: “…the sound of the period bells.”
- Sandhya Rajagopalan: “…the welcoming community and all of the friends I have made throughout my two years here.”
- Judy Xie: “Off periods”
What do you think would improve MLHS?
- Jason Ding: “…better connection and relationship between students and administration. Especially during times like these when there are significant changes imposed by Administration, the students really should advocate their thoughts and attitudes towards these changes.”
- Emre Andican: “Can’t really change anything as I’m only a sophomore.”
- Sandhya Rajagopalan:“…allowing for more classes to be involved in discussing current events because it allows for students to discuss and talk about issues that they might not think of.”
- Judy Xie: “Less fried food”
Who is the new Senior Class President?
Junior Matt Palazzi will be the Senior Class President for the 2018-2019 school year. The football and lacrosse player has been the President of the Class of 2019 since freshman year, and he hopes to make the grade proud by serving as their Senior Class President.
Why did you decide to join SGA initially?
I joined SGA initially because I thought I would enjoy being a part of a group of people whose main focus is to better the school, and I was right!
What do you hope to do as the senior class president next year?
I hope to be a voice for the students. With supervisors leaving, I hope I can help represent how the students feel and accomplish tasks accordingly.
Chicken boats have always been an important part of your campaigns for class president every year. What do they signify to you?
The chicken boat to me symbolizes something everyone can rally behind. If someone is having a bad day, they can always know that the chicken boat will be there for them.
Aside from his presidency, Matt is looking forward to senior year, and he hopes to use it well and make a positive impact on MLHS. With this in mind, he really likes that the Laker community is tightly knit, and “everyone is willing to come together to make good things happen.”
Any advice that you have for the Class of 2019?
“Enjoy the final year we have together and to make the most of it. This is the year we can leave our mark on the school so I advise to make it special.”
Who is the new Senior Class Vice President?
Julia Stanisci is a junior and has been the vice president of the Class of 2019 since freshman year and up until this year. She has been elected a class representative for the 2018-2019 school year, and she is also one of two juniors running for the coveted spot of the president of the Laker student body.
What has your role been in SGA?
“Through the years, my role has been to communicate directly with my peers, listen to their concerns/suggestions, and bring this input to the SGA, where it can be put into action. Some of my favorite [successful] projects… are the charging station [in the library] and the new lost and found–which is still in progress–because these are two things that the students have asked for and have been accomplished through the SGA.”
What’s your reason for running for president and what do you think you could bring to the school?
“My main reason for running for president is that I care about people and I want to be able to communicate and help out as much of the student body as I can. I feel like I connect to a lot of different people because I’m involved in a lot of very different things, and I would like to have the power to directly impact student life – I want students to be able to come to me with ideas/suggestions that I can put into action, implementing positive change. Also, I feel like I would be able to make a lot of things happen because of my connections from different organizations and because of my very persuasive [and] common-sensical nature; also, I am super stubborn and will never give up on something I believe in.”
How do you think the school could be improved?
“I think the school could benefit from better communication between the students and faculty/administration. The students need to be taken more seriously in this school [and] the district overall. There are so many things that students are not okay with, and I would like to work with my peers as well as the faculty in order to change things for the better. Personally, I feel that the possibility of more frequent open campus time for seniors should be explored, and this is something I’d like to pursue if I am elected president. Another issue I feel strongly about is temperature regulation [in the classrooms] within MLHS. Also, I would like to increase school spirit and make things more fun with activities like pep rallies and painting parking spots as well as bringing back [some] bonfires.”
Julia has made a name for herself in the Laker community outside of SGA. In terms of athletics, she is a member of the girls’ soccer team and runs track, and in terms of extracurriculars, she is a member of the LETS (Let’s Erase the Stigma) Club, an executive board member of the Peer Leaders, and one of the founding members of Model UN at MLHS. Outside of school, she is part of the ML Junior Volunteer Fire Department. Her great amount of involvement in the school only adds to the “sense of family and spirit that the school and [the Laker Nation] embody,” which happens to be her favorite thing about MLHS.
While it will be bittersweet for Julia because she adores the Mountain Lakes community so much, she admits that she is excited for senior year, whether that includes a presidency or not. “I’m excited to have one final year with the people I have known since kindergarten and can’t wait to make the last one the best one,” she says.
We asked Julia if she had anything to say to all the Lakers out there, and she offered some motivation.
“Hang in there guys, it’s almost summer. Also, vote for me.”
She only spared kind words for her opponent.
“Cali: Love you, man.”
Meet Your Other Presidential Candidate
Julia’s opponent in the presidential race is Cali McAleer, another junior. Cali’s foray into student government started back in middle school with the Briarcliff Vice Presidency in 7th grade. Since then, she has been the president of Briarcliff and an MLHS Class of 2019 class representative; this year, she has garnered some experience on the SGA Executive Board as the School Treasurer.
What has your role been in SGA?
[My] roles in SGA [have] required different things throughout the years. A big part of SGA is putting in the time whether it’s running the booths at our events to decorating for the dances, but in between those obligations is where you get to have fun. Some of my favorite projects I’ve worked on is the installation of a suggestion box at Briarcliff and starting the decade dance.
What’s your reason for running for president and what do you think you could bring to the school?
I’m running for president for many reasons. Most importantly, I genuinely care about the school and [I want] to paint the importance of SGA [to the student body]. People tend to forget the SGA isn’t a subdivision of the school’s administration, but [rather], it’s there to represent the students. The role of the president is supposed to be [that they are] the conveyor of the people’s voices to the school administration, and I find great joy and responsibility in being the person to do this.
How do you think the school could be improved?
I think before we fix anything in the school, people’s attitudes need to be fixed. As president, I want to reinvigorate school spirit because nothing gets done when people don’t care. Once we mobilize the student body, then we can focus on other changes.
Cali takes delight in the small things at MLHS, as some of her favorite things about MLHS include “hanging out in the lobby with her friends, the cookies in the cafeteria, and eating in the courtyard when it’s a nice day.” She has gotten extremely involved in the school in her time here: she is a soccer, chess, and softball player (viva!), and outside of SGA, she is a member of Model UN and the Hispanic Heritage Club, and an occasional contributor to the Mountaineer.
Cali is both “excited and sad” for what lies ahead in her senior year and beyond. “I can’t wait to go to college and figure out what I’m going to do in life, but at the same time, I’ll miss MLHS. Sometimes you get annoyed or tired of living in a small town where everyone knows you, but there’s an undeniable charm to it that you’re bound to miss.”
Cali had some strong and inspirational words for the student body.
“To the students, just care. You don’t have to take on the problems of the world, but start with the problems in your high school which YOU go to every day and whose decisions affect YOU.”
She also had some advice to give to her equally fiery opponent, Julia.
“To Julia, I’m looking to the upcoming race and wish you the best of luck. Better bust out your best MUN blazer!”
The Mustard Show: Episode 4
Check out the latest installment of The Mustard Show below to see Donovan Menard’s interview with presidential candidates, Julia Stanisci and Cali McAleer!
So there you are, folks! A sad farewell to the seniors in Mountain Lakes High School’s 2017-2018 Student Government, and a big welcome to the newcomers and returning underclassmen! We hope that you make our school proud!
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