Name: Chiara Calov

Grade next year: 12th

Why would you be a good candidate for this position?

This year I was a new Hackley student. Despite coming in late, as an 11th grader, I made a quick adjustment to the Hackley community. From the first day of preseason in the summer, everyone was extremely welcoming and genuinely happy. Because of the positive atmosphere around me, I wanted to interact with the Hackley community as much as possible, therefore I made a great effort to stay involved with the athletic, academic, and social events on campus. As the year has gone by, I look back on it pleasantly, knowing I have become part of a truly amazing group of people. I enjoy participating in Hackley events and doing all I can to extend and represent the community. When I speak to people about Hackley, I always refer to it as the ‘happy place.’ I think I would be a good candidate for this position, because I would have a strong focus on welcoming new families into the Hackley community, while sustaining and furthering relationships with existing families. Currently, I have personal, active, and open connections/communication with faculty and my peers. I believe I could take a leadership position to effectively voice the opinions of my peers. Additionally, since I am new, I would be able to bring a unique and broadened perspective to the table, while still embodying true Hackley principles.

What have you done for the Hackley Community?

I have only been part of the Hackley community for around 7 months now, therefore I cannot speak in lengths about how I have contributed. However, approaching things from a different perspective, there are a few aspects I have brought forth. Although I have not benefitted the community with initiatives, clubs, etc, I think my character may have an impact on those around me. During first Friday speeches, I was open and honest with my classmates about my negative experiences in the past. I wrote the speech as a tribute to them, thanking them for making the start to my Hackley career beyond amazing and standing by me while I watched things finally fall into place, after watching them fall apart for so long. In that speech, I attempted to remind my classmates the power they have as individuals to lift up and encourage those around them, as they did with me. Daily, I try to positively impact/help people in the Hackley community, because they have done so much for me. I have contributed in the sense of representing a character/integrity that I believe everyone should have. My peers encourage me to want to be a better person, and I attempt to bring those around me up, so they want to pass forward that hora.

In regard to literal contributions to the community, I am currently planning two projects/initiatives that I am hoping to implement. I am going to start a collection of lightly used athletic year to donate to an Ecuadorian community around Tarrytown (inspired by the Hackley trip I am going on to Ecuador this summer). Lastly, I would like to execute an initiative within the new athletic facility that is centered around using green energy to reduce global warming/climate change.

What are your goals if elected?

If elected to this position, I would like to be a strong role model to the students in the Hackley community, while being a reliable leader who is able to convey+act on the thoughts/opinions of the students. My main goal is to be welcoming to all people (as they were to me) while up keeping and bettering the concept of Hackley being a place where you can enter to be and find a friend. I would also like to 1) develop more initiatives to make Hackley a more environmentally friendly (green) community 2) create a system that makes it easier for students to remain caught up on lessons when they are absent (maybe a portal accessible to students through HOL with recorded class discussions from the day or recaps of the day’s class lessons) 3) organize further collective service projects that make it easy for Hackley students to go out into the community together- beyond with just clubs 4) have field days (like a class olympics) on the days of fall and winter sting.

Name: Amy Chalan

Grade next year: 11th

Why would you be a good candidate for this position?

I would be a good candidate for this position because I am experienced, passionate, and responsible. I have been on Community Council since freshman year and I have loved the 2 years I’ve been on Council. I have been a grade representative and am currently the sophomore class president. In my time with Council, I’ve learned how to successfully organize events for my peers and how to communicate with school officials in order to get help to carry out the events. I’ve also learned how to handle responsibility and a leadership role throughout my experience on council.
In addition, I am club leader of the Hudson Scholars Club and have learned how to organize events for the scholars and their families as well as how to be a leader for them and inspire a love for learning. I have learned to be responsible as a leader throughout my work with the scholars and throughout my position on Council.
I am also passionate about my work on Community Council and with the Hudson Scholars Club. I will dedicate hours to working on planning events for Council, putting together Candy Grams, and finding volunteers for reunions with the scholars. I try to put my all into projects that I love, and I have dedicated myself to Community Council since freshman year and hope to be elected as Vice President to be able to dedicate my time and energy into improving Hackley student life.

What have you done for the Hackley Community?

These past two years I have contributed to or organized the Advisory fashion show, US bonfire, Snowball, concession stands at games, Candy Grams, Field Day 2016, the first annual Haunted House, and movie night for my class. I created a system to package the candy grams and deliver them successfully as well as constantly email teachers and Hackley members to coordinate Council events. My biggest project this year has been spearheading the T-Shirt Contest to create Hackley merchandise to sell to the students.

What are your goals if elected?

If elected as Vice-President of Community Council, I would want to work hard with the President to restructure and organize a new Field Day with more intermixing of upper and lower classmen and improve the winter formal, Snowball. One of my goals is to foster friendship throughout all grades, and I would accomplish this by improving Field Day as well as First Friday, and fundraising more money for Snowball to improve decorations and the atmosphere at the dance. I would also like to continue the new T Shirt Contest annually, so raise school spirit and offer students a chance to represent their school. Lastly, I would like to raise more awareness for the arts and drama program at Hackley, since they often get overlooked in comparison to sports. Council has been incorporating measures to promote the drama program and I would like to continue to support the arts program by using Council to offer rewards for attendance and promoting the plays on the weekly bulletin.

Name: Michael Mezzacappa

Grade next year: 12th

Why would you be a good candidate for this position?

I have two years of experience on Council and am very friendly with the majority of the younger classes in the upper school, offering a familiar face in the leadership group.

What have you done for the Hackley Community?

I have been apart of council for two years, I am an active Ambassador, I have been selected to do interviews of prospective faculty members, and have been invited to and participated in leadership conferences as a representative of Hackley School.

What are your goals if elected?

If elected VP, my goals are to work in close accordance with the President and Treasurer to create a plan for maximum yield on minimum cost regarding various school activities. Some new activities and events I have thought of in preparation for my campaign include a series of Hackley themed Game shows, similar to Jeopardy, the price is right, and wheel of fortune where the answers to all of the questions are “Hackley trivia” and relate to the history of our school. Another form of school spirit I would like to implement is two Cheerleading teams (one boys and one girls) that will cheer at the various Hackley varsity sporting events on Friday nights, Saturdays, and especially at the Sting. Overall, I would like the upper school to be more inclusive of all of the grades, and hopefully these ideas, among others, will successfully do that.

Name: Max Tannenbaum

Grade next year: 12th

Why would you be a good candidate for this position?

I am a good candidate because I will represent not just the student body well, but also the teachers. Ask anyone who knows me and they will confirm that I am not afraid to speak my mind, and support/represent those of my community. I am willing to not only ask the hard questions, but also create the response and reason behind decisions. I will not be the firebrand that I was last year, and rather will act professional and with the same passion and drive to get active change and tangible results. I believe in upholding the sacred student-teacher relationship of being friends to one another. I understand this cannot be called “friendship” by the training teachers receive, but nevertheless it is. I have run 3 startup companies which were liquidated at large returns to our investors. I understand how the “system” of Hackley works and how to make progress. “Go forth and spread beauty and light” are words I see every day. These words speak to my message to spread beauty and light on behalf of our entire community.

What have you done for the Hackley Community?

In the Hackley Community I have played many roles. Freshmen year I was in community council as a class agent. I have been a part of and been the president of the NGV/HSIG club which has one of the largest amount of members consistently attending meetings. I also last year was the brave soul who got a promise to put golf nets in the new health building by the Hackley Administration. I also speak for the minority of the republicans in our school, and have helped people logically understand the positions of Trump. I also have been a member of the community since 3rd grade, always voting when giving the option too.

What are your goals if elected?

I will question reasons that block great ideas from being implemented. I will raise school spirit through a 3-step program: Notify, Incentivize, Capitalize. I will make sure everyone will actively know about games and events home or away through daily announcements. I will incentivize students with dress downs, or other perks biased off school spirit participation. I will capitalize on the win streaks of our teams and make it known to everyone through signs and class announcements, because too often do our teams triumph with no one to hear about it.
I will develop new funding methods using my experience of running companies. Funding through paid dress down of just $1 can generate over $400 in funding each time. Funding will go towards more events that can be on a smaller scale, including festivities at home games.
I want to make sure that no one feels discriminated against as many have over the past year, even in community time activities.
I want to take student life to a whole new level of fun and excitement.
I want next year to be the best year ever, achievable by electing me.

Photos by Benjy Renton.