Students who seek to represent their grade on Community Council are asked to write personal statements that describe the qualifications they hold, what they have done for the Hackley community, and what their goals are for next year.

Senior Class Officer Candidates

Grant Albright

My experience as a grade representative has prepared me to know what makes a good officer: a good officer needs to be dedicated, committed, creative, and overall passionate about improving Hackley’s student life. I get that Senior year is gonna be incredibly busy and lots of people aren’t going to want to attend Student council events in their free time. School is a huge commitment but I believe that after a year on council I have a better understanding of 1) how council works and what is/is not too ambitious of an event to pull off, and 2) what the people want in an event (primarily good food, lame entertainment, and freedom to essentially do what they want.)

I’ve been able to contribute to the Hackley community in multiple ways not only through participation in various aspects of student life, but also through my prior experience on council. I’ve served on both music and logistics committees of 2 major events this year, as well as co-created the Big Twister™ for field day last year. Council is a rather large commitment, and during my time I’ve helped sell Raffle tickets + pop-sockets/phone pockets, as well as helped oversee multiple council-run events. I attend plays, sporting events, AND school. I co-founded Culinary Appreciation, a club dedicated to good food and culture, and I also frequently spread awareness and appreciation of the Teigen-Legend family.

One thing that I tried advocating for this year was a de-stress Netflix Binge in the Lindsay room where everyone votes on a series and we just spend half a day or afternoon relaxing (kinda like jr fun day, but super laid back). I also plan to make senior-specific events where everyone has a huge say in what goes on. I believe direct suggestions from the people is what makes for a healthy council. I will also advocate that council does the best job possible to make event timing as convenient as possible for everyone (including student athletes). If elected, I will also get a Facebook as I realize that is the most convenient way to communicate. Until then, I’ll stay off the grid.

Henry Jones

I would be a good candidate for this position because I am confident that I can represent the wants and needs of my classmates.

I was an ambassador my Freshman year and have participated in various programs involved with helping others. I have also done my best to be a friend to all.

To create a senior year for my peers that is as stress free as I can make it and to involve my classmates in activities that will not just better Hackley as a community, but create lasting memories that my classmates can look back on 20 years down the road with happiness.

Mirabel Mallett

I would be a great candidate for a position on community council because of my dedication and outspoken personality. I am hard working, determined, and would be extremely devoted to representing our grade on council, and making sure your voices are heard. I have wanted to represent our grade from the start because I want to make our senior year specifically the absolute best it can be, rather than focusing on improving the school as a whole. Furthermore, I am extremely persistent and like to have my voice heard, which would benefit us in getting what we want from the school our senior year. I would be a great candidate for this position because while I am dedicated to everything I do, I am also the most dedicated to our grade specifically.

My dedication to field hockey and other clubs that I hold leadership positions on such as Dux Femina Facti provides me with the best set of skills to serve our grade on council. I have learned how to multitask, advocate for what is right, and understand other people’s point of view, all of which would make me the most suitable candidate. I constantly find myself listening to my friends vent, and while this may seem unrelated, this would carry over to my approach to being a class representative. Rather than just having my singular voice heard, I would instead listen to all of you and use my voice to advocate for change for our class. For example, I think it would be fun and productive to have an advice column as a part of the Dial which would enable people to anonymously ask questions and have them answered by a person every Dial issue. While you may think this is out of the wheelhouse for class representative, I assure you that if I get elected, I will advocate for all ideas, no matter how crazy they may seem. In fact, this very idea was deemed “cool” by someone currently on Dial, indicating how it is a viable possibility.

My overarching goal as class representative would be to improve us seniors’ daily life in every way possible. The main thing that we should begin advocating for soon is for the current junior lot to be the senior lot. Who wants to walk up a hill to their homeroom in the morning and then find a way to get down from the gym after sports? Exactly! No one does, and as seniors we should have the opportunity to vote for which lot we want. Also, there has to be grilled chicken at the salad bar again. There just has to be. And, I am the most suited to make this available every day because my “allergy” enables me to get food from the back of the kitchen, so I have established a friendly relationship with the members of Flik and would be able to make this dream a reality. It is these small details that would make every day of senior year that much better. Also, I strongly believe that there should be ice near the coffee in the lunchroom so there is the option to have iced coffee. Furthermore, I would advocate for a cot to be placed in our senior lounge. Throughout my underclassman years, I have always heard people talking light-heartedly about having beds at school or a room to take naps. This cot would enable us to get rest while in school. Lastly, one large idea that I have is to have a senior-only dance in the fall. We have a school-wide dance in winter and Prom in spring, however I think seniors should have their own version of snowball so it is the most fun for us specifically.

Junior Class Officer Candidates

Sofia Graziano

I think that I would be a good candidate for this position because of my constant involvement in the Hackley community. I immerse myself in various activities including sports, Hudson Scholars, Dial, and the ambassador program. All of these activities have allowed me to become more connected the Hackley community as well as get to know my peers. Additionally, I have had experience on council Freshman year and in middle school, so I know what to expect and how to stay on top of things.

As a member of 3 varsity sports, I constantly find myself putting in my best effort in order to make the teams succeed. Through these sports I have gained various experiences that shape the person I am today. Additionally, I am a 10th grade coordinator for the Hudson Scholars program at Hackley. I believe that this program is an instrumental part of the Hackley community. I also am a member of various clubs including Breakfast Run, Soup Kitchen, and more. Through my participation in the ambassador program, I have aided prospective families in their decision of coming to Hackley as well as made incoming students feel welcome.

If elected, my goals are to make Hackley an overall enjoyable place. I believe that this can be done with small changes, such as improving the Sophomore bubble, setting up community times and grade events that students want to participate in, and designing apparel specific to the class of 2020. Additionally, I want students to have more of a say in what council does or decided to do, so I will make sure to implement a system in which students can reach out to council members.

Taylor Robin

I believe I would be a good candidate for Junior Class officer because I am incredibly dedicated and I never shy away from a challenge. I have been on council for 2 years now, and while school may be stressful at times, I always look forward to council, and I am ready to bear this commitment for another year, and happy to do so. I am also very passionate about everything I do, and there is not one moment in time in which I will not fight for what I believe is right and how I might help others find and project their voice in this school.

Hackley has been a great environment for me, and has allowed me to grow as a student and as part of the Hackley community. I am involved in many clubs at this point, and I am a leader in UNITY and Fem Club. These clubs have allowed me to find my voice and to never be afraid to speak my mind. I have been a part of council for 2 years as well, which is a great commitment, as I stay after school every week to do what I enjoy, which is council. I am also a Hackley ambassador and regularly participate in any ambassador events. I also was one of the main organizers for the school wide walkout, which required a large amount of time and sensitivity and willingness to understand, when it came to gun violence. Finally, I am also part of Hackley sports, including soccer, and softball (and apparently, I am the best shortstop Marchesi has ever seen, so that’s a win) However, I plan on doing so much more, and I hope greatly enjoy community council, and I hope with you help, I will be able to continue achieving my goals I have set for myself as your community council member.

My goals for this position include: creating a more cohesive environment within the 11th grade. I hope to achieve that by hosting my grade wide events, aside from general community council run events. This includes, hosting a baking competition, now that we have our new wellness facility. Another goal I hope to achieve is an outreach program, custom tailored to our grade, in which we are able to make a larger impact outside of the Hackley walls. Lastly, I simply want to be an effective figure for this grade, and the only way I will achieve that is through your help! I am open to any and all suggestions and I while I believe I am strong and level-headed, you all are the ones that will help me the most and that I will learn the most from. I am proud to call myself your Class Representative and I hope, next year I can call myself one of your Class Officer.

Liam Murphy

I have always been proud of my leadership skills and I believe that I can use them to represent my grade as a class officer. I am also very dedicated to all the challenges I take on so I would make this job my primary focus. My father instilled in me a Never Give Up mentality that I will use to achieve the goals we set out to achieve as a grade. I am a very approachable person and always available to listen to any suggestions that my classmates may have.

I have always taken great pride in belonging to a school as great as Hackley. The community is one of the main reasons why I decided to come here. I would love to continue those traditions within Hackley as well as promote it outside our school and being a class officer would give me the opportunity to do so. One of the ways I have tried to benefit the community is by encouraging younger students particularly from my old school to come to Hackley. I have also been an active member on various sports teams and have always been a three-sport athlete because I believe it is important to be a part of a team. As a team one of the first things to be learned is that what is best for the whole always comes first. That is something that I will carry over to my work as a class officer.

My main goal is to listen and accomplish the ideas set forth by the members of my class. One thing I would begin working on immediately is increasing attendance at all school events. We have tremendous school spirit, but I think it can be increased through both attendance and overall spirit. I will try to use funds to buy even more supplies to make a louder and therefore more supportive crowd for each game. I would also work to increase attendance at away games by organizing a possible early dismissal to arrive on time for the biggest rival games. I will also work on strategies for increasing attendance at our school plays. Everyone that goes always raves about the performances and I would like for everyone to be able to see the result of all the hard work put in by the many actors and actresses at Hackley. Again, the most important thing in my eyes is that everyone’s ideas are heard which I will ensure happens.

Emily Afriyie

I think I would make a good candidate for 11th grade officer because I want to make the best of our junior year. Being on council this year, I have learned a lot about being apart of a large group at Hackley and exactly what it entails. It requires participation, during meetings and outside of them as well, and I know that I am more than willing and ready to take up these responsibilities. I am very determined and I will try to incorporate all of the requests, within my ability, in council activities. I do think that I can help make next year a great one!

I have been a member of the Ambassador program for the past 2 years by volunteering at Open Houses, leading tours and hosting prospective students. During my past two years, I have played a variety of sports each season ranging from tennis to basketball to track. Lastly, as I have previously mentioned, I was grade representative this year.

If I am elected, I will once again work towards making the year memorable! As we did this year, I hope to continue offering popcorn and other snacks at plays and encouraging participation at plays, games, and concerts. I want to develop currently existing events and make them more enjoyable for the school community. Snowball was a success this year and I believe we can make most Council events that popular. My plans for next year are similar to the goals I had last year: encourage participation from the community, create unity between council and the student body, and develop and create existing and new activities. To me, they were effective and next year, I plan on executing them differently and hopefully better to make positive results for next year.

Kireeti Josyula

There are multiple reasons as to why I feel I would be a good candidate for a class officer position. The first reason why I believe I would be a good candidate is my ability to stay calm in high-stakes situations. Personally, I think, from multiple past experiences, that I will be able to handle the workload required of a class officer. As a student currently taking 6 majors, with advanced courses, and demanding extra-curricular activities, I have experience with being able to handle a demanding course-load (even at the expense of some sleep). The second reason why I believe that I would be a good candidate for this role is because of my determination. This year, I have taken a special program known as IRP, or Independent Research. A vital part of the research process is to learn from falls and mistakes, and find a better alternative/path. Through my experience with learning about computer programming and learning, I have understood what it feels like to fail and fall, but have been able to, through determination and courage, pick myself up and start new again. Lastly, I think I will be a good candidate for this position because I have not ever been in such a leadership role before. If I am elected to be a class officer, it will officially be my first time in a position of leadership. I think it is important not to have the same people in office year in and year out, but to experiment with the options at hand and have new faces every year, who can help bring exciting new ideas to the board. These are the reasons as to why I think I would be a good candidate for a class officer position.

One of the biggest ways in which I have contributed to the Hackley School, as a whole, dates back to my time in the Lower and Middle school, when I volunteered to be an ambassador. As a part of my role, I would be provided with the option to spend the day with a visiting student, and help them experience what a normal day is like for a Hackley Lower or Middle-school student. As an ambassador, I helped roughly 6 students tour Hackley in the span of three years, and of those 6 kids, 4 actually ended up attending Hackley, although none of them are here anymore. I was able to share with them, some of the wonders of actually being a Hackley student, and show them what it means to be a Hackley student. Another way in which I have contributed to the Hackley community was by partaking in the Round Square program. I know that many people have been a part of the Round Square program, but one of the things that I have done has brought back ideas to the community, and used those ideas to help strengthen my sense of diversity and community, and help others feel the same way. these are just some of the ways in which I have contributed to the Hackley community, and I look to expand on this more in the future.

Throughout my entire 10 years at Hackley, I have felt a strong fracture in our grade. For some unknown reason, I have always felt as though our grade represented a broken system, one in which the people within it are not connected by any means. I want to be a part of helping to fix this divide by bringing the grade together as a whole community more often. Something that I have noticed from the shift from Middle to Upper school, is that the excitement to engage in grade-wide opportunities slowly died out. For example, in the 7th or 8th grade, there was a Chopped event that was open to both 7th and 8th graders at the time, which had a high attendance rate, as far as I remember. There hasn’t been too many events like these in the past 2 years, and I think bringing that back would definitely enlighten the community. Another one of my ideas is to host grade talent-shows, where people will have the chance to showcase some of their extra-curricular talents to the grade, giving them the courage to express themselves without fear of being judged. Lastly, one of the things I would want to do would be to have once-a-month sports tournaments, in which multiple sports and competitions take place. This could also be a competition, where the winner can receive a special prize at the end of each month. Obviously, these ideas must be elaborated on in the future, but these are just taste of some of the plans I have for our grade next year, if I am elected into a class officer position.

Emmy Wenstrup

I would be a good candidate for class officer because of my experience on Council and previous experience working with the new president, Zaya. I’m not new to Council, and my experience as class agent this year would mean that, if elected, I would be able to efficiently transition and continue this year’s council projects into next year. In the past, I’ve worked with Zaya on several council projects, and we are currently working together on a springfest committee. My relationship with Zaya makes me a good candidate because we can work well together, which means I could as a class officer work with her to achieve our class’ goals. I’m also extremely committed to Council, and put my heart into every project we do. Overall, my experience, friendship with the upcoming president, and commitment to Council make me a good candidate for class officer.

I’ve contributed to the Hackley community mainly by working on Council this year as 10th grade agent. In this position, I’ve helped coordinate events, such as the winter movie night and our biggest event, snowball. I spent countless meetings working on the decorations committee to make sure the PAC looked amazing for Snowball. I’ve contributed to the Hackley community outside of Council, as well. This year, I was a writer on the Dial and wrote articles ranging from sports profiles to in depth and heavily researched articles about Trump’s tax plan and the JUUL epidemic at Hackley. Furthermore, I am on the leadership team for both HEAL (Hackley’s environmental club) and Hudson Scholars.

If elected, I would like to be more transparent with the (soon to be) 11th grade. In Lindsay Room grade meetings, I’d like to inform the class on all possible information I could give about the latest Council meeting. This could include updates on longer-term projects as well as planning events. This year, I felt that one of our faults as a Council was our lack of insight from the community. I think that while being able to come up with event ideas on spot is very helpful, it’s more important to generate ideas from the grade to both ensure maximum attendance and so that people are more enthused about the event. I’d also like to have more events as a Council. One of the complaints I hear the most about Council is that all we do is Snowball and ask for money by selling raffle tickets. I think people would be more open to Council and would generally like us more if we had more events they could participate in. Instead of just saying “if you have ideas, talk to me,” I’d like to send out a google form that people could fill out with potential ideas for events. So, if elected, I’d like to engage the community more by updating them on non-confidential Council information from meetings as well as get their input more in event planning.

Sophomore Class Officer Candidates

Charlie Wind

I feel that I would be a good candidate for our 10th grade representative because of my experience. I have gone to the majority of the council meetings this year and helped out in council-run events. Whether it was helping set up for snowball or helping sell candy grams. I know how council functions, and I feel like I can use that knowledge to help out in council for next year. I even run social media for Hackley Council, and I would love to keep that going! Also, I work very well with others. This is important as it will help me when it comes to making decisions with my fellow representatives. I’m willing to talk to teachers when something needs to be done. Also, I am an extremely diligent person as I work hard in and out of the classroom. I feel like I can connect with everyone in our grade, and this will certainly help me bring your opinions to council. If you vote for me, I promise that I will put forth my best effort to make 10th grade the best year it can be.

I have contributed to the Hackley Community in several ways. Currently, I am a representative for our council, and I have helped out with many different events. I came 5 hours early to help set up for snowball. I stay until 8 at Hackley every single Monday. I have given up some of my lunch time to help sell parking raffle tickets and candy grams. I have helped set up our movie night. I have even helped name the atrium and cafe of the wellness center! Currently, I am helping the plan the awesome new event, Spring Fest! I’m looking forward to helping to plan field day as well as many other events to come. Apart from council, I am an active participant in the ambassador program. I have helped out during open house. I have given tours and shadow days. I even won ambassador of the month for December and January! I feel very in touch with the Hackley Community, and I will use this to be the best representative I can be.

My main goal if I were to be reelected would be to really connect with our class. I would love to bring your opinions to council. The ways that I would be able to do this is through our Instagram account, follow us at @hackleycouncil2021! Even a quick email or a chat to get know your opinions about our council would really help out a lot. I also would like to make this year as enjoyable as it can be. I would love to plan an amazing snowball, Spring Fest, and field day! I would also love to be apart of the planning for an awesome 10th grade event. Whether it is a field trip to the movies or bowling!

Winslow Griffin

I think that I would be a good candidate for this position both because of my persistence and past experience. I have been on council for 4 years, 3 times in the MS and once in the US. This past year especially has showed me the ropes and the ins and outs of the upper school council, which is very different and much more serious than middle school council. I’m also very persistent, and I always try to make something happen if I say it will. For example, I’ve been trying to plan a grade wide sports tournament since 2nd trimester and I haven’t given up even though me and my fellow council members have hit some bumps along the way.

I have served on the council for four years, 3 years in MS and 1 year in US. During my middle school time, I planned numerous events and activities for my grade, won’t he field trip to the adventure park being my most proud accomplishment. However, I think that my time on the US community council has helped me contribute to the community in a greater sense than being on council in middle school ever did. For example, I was able to help contribute to the planning and decorations of snowball this year. Also, although they are not quite done yet, I’m in the process of creating personalized grade level laptop stickers. Next, through the course of the year, council has hosted many raffles and parking tickets sales, many of which I tried to help during. We also sold both turkey grams and candy grams during this school year, both of which I helped to create. Finally, there is a current idea being planned for the 9th graders to have an advisory sports competitions. But I have also helped outside of student council, in areas such as sports and also with helping the admissions program by serving as an ambassador.

First of all, I would like to make some changes to the running and presentation of snowball. This might include things like moving it to the new gym. Also, something that I noticed worked well this year on council was the idea of grade or school side merchandise. Although I am currently creating laptop stickers for each grade, I would try and come up with even more ways that we can help show our Hackley spirit. Next, through the year I would try and create several 10th grade specific events, such as movie nights, sports competitions, intellectual competitions, and carnivals/fairs. Finally, although my recent year on council has helped me discover that a field trip outside of school is both very hard to plan and for the most part outside of the council’s budget, I would try to work with our grade dean in order to help take our grade of campus for a day or two during the school year. This could include lots of things, likes movies or maybe a ropes course.

Edward Steffelin

I would be a good candidate for this position because I am a well-rounded student who does three sports and I am also well-liked by the students as well as my teachers. I will make the voices of the people in my grade heard.

Besides being an athlete here at Hackley, I have not contributed much, which is why i desire to be on student council.

Simply to make change, plan fun activities, and make the faculty aware of what is on the students’ minds.

Charlie Rudge

I would be a good candidate for this position because of my dedication, my willingness to go the extra mile whenever possible, and my ability to listen to and contribute ideas. My dedication to schoolwork, my classmates, and sports shows itself on a daily basis, from when I am working hard on a group project, asking valuable questions in class, helping my friends (or being helped) with physics homework, or trying to go 100% in the humidity of spring lacrosse practices. I am also always willing to put in the time and effort needed to successfully complete a task. You can often find me doing an extra credit project in history or adding immensely complicated diagrams to presentations (sorry Alex), or carrying the heavy stuff on the way to practice. I would always be willing, if elected, to attend every meeting, contribute ideas, and plan and show up to all events. I would not hesitate to take the extra initiative to finish an incomplete council project or to take the lead on planning an event, even if it meant a much larger time commitment than already required. Going the extra mile has always been a big part of my personality, and it would continue to show if elected. Additionally, I am a good listener. I would be more than willing to take any feedback and share it with the council. I consider myself a fairly friendly and approachable guy, so if elected, I would have my ears always open for any suggestions or complaints for the council. I would strive to make the voices of the entire sophomore class heard, and serve you all with my aforementioned traits to the best of my ability.

This year, I was an ambassador who proudly attended the open house and gave Upper School tours to several prospective families. In eighth grade, I was invited to speak on multiple Hackley panels for incoming middle school students and give their parents tours, as well as attending the first meeting of all the incoming Upper School students along with five other of my classmates. In seventh grade, by a strange coincidence, I actually gave tours in the middle school for the Hackley Open House (which middle school students never do), and represented Hackley well (I hope) at the middle school Round Square conference in San Francisco. I have actually never served on council before, but if it counts for anything, I have always wanted to. Last year, I thought I didn’t know enough of the new students, and in middle school I was too unconfident in my public speaking abilities to even give running a shot. Despite never having been on council, I have contributed to and represented Hackley in other ways as written above, and I know I would be able to employ the same dedication and commitment I had to the previous contributions to the position of grade-wide officer. These contributions have also increased my love for Hackley and given me knowledge of what it means to represent and be a Hackley student, which would be invaluable on student council.

I promise the entire grade that I will not make any false promises about what I will and can do (and that’s not a false promise), but I do have plenty of possible ideas that could contribute to the well-being of our grade next year. My main goals if elected to this position are to enrich our day-to-day lives at Hackley, through various mechanisms designed to bring happiness and less stress on a daily basis. Personally, I love spirit week (if anyone remembers my leather jacket and aviators during 70s day last year…) and I know many others do as well. These inject some fun into a normal week, and subtract the pressure brought on by ‘dressing to impress’ or trying to stay within the dress code each day. If elected, I would campaign for having one of these each trimester instead of once a year (they also serve as a week of dress down if you don’t want to dress according to the theme). Another goal I would have if elected is a push for an ‘information campaign’ which would alert Hackley students and teachers of the most important concerns we face. I, and many of my friends, have come to school in dress code on a dress down day, which just equates to a missed opportunity and a bit of teasing. On council, I would routinely ask for information about dress down days and then immediately spread it to all Hackley students, whether by Facebook or Snapchat. Also, while I cannot enforce ‘no homework weekends’ with teachers, I have realized that a big part of them giving homework on no homework weekends is not their determination to burden us each weekend but that they simply don’t know about it. If elected, I would always try to be in touch with the people organizing these weekends, and then personally notify each applicable teacher on behalf of our grade. Another idea I have would be to have more food everywhere. Yes, I would campaign for more food at events, but also special days where our grade just gets cookies or something (I would be happy to lend my baking talents to the cause). I remember earlier this year when Jordan and I found the Lindsay Room full of food from a finished senior party, and we ate so much and gave food to random people and that little bit of delicious food really made my day. Another goal I have if elected is to spread the news about school events that are sometimes overlooked by the majority of us. This year, I decided to go with some friends to Coffeehouse, and I had no idea what to expect. It was awesome, and it doesn’t deserve to be as disregarded as it sometimes is. I would make concerted efforts across multiple platforms to try and get more people to attend these events, not just for the great performers but also for the rest of us, who deserve to see such a great show. If you’ve made it to this point, thanks for sticking with me, I just have a lot of ideas I am very willing to share and execute. At sports games, I would try to get more ‘toys’ for the spectators, because those football games would be so much more fun if we all had silly string, those clapper things from sports games, and even foam fingers. It’s all about the atmosphere at those great events, and again, I would do all I can to spread the word about ALL sporting events and try to draw as many spectators to cheer on our teams as possible. Lastly, I have heard that we usually get to have some end-of-the-year celebration or trip, and while I don’t know what our budget for that would be, I promise I would make that the best it could be, with input from all of you about what you want out of your end-of-the-year school party. My ideas as of now include a trip to a Long Island beach, some sporting event, or even a concert (because the more people the better). However, above all else, my goal if elected is to serve all of you to the best of my ability and to always be open for any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Hadassah Henderson

I think that I would be a great candidate for this position because I am a very vocal person that will always stand up for something that is important to me. I feel like being on a committee of any kind that is a very important quality because in order to get ideas across you have to make sure that your voice is heard. Also, I am a very organized person that loves to work on projects of any type and will always put my best work forward when it comes to representing the 10th grade as a whole during council meetings. I am not afraid to go up and ask people for their opinions on what they think council could do better because the whole point of council is to represent the 10 the grade community and I think that we really need to step up our game in that area. I am prepared to stay late at Hackley any day of the week for council because I have been doing that all year meaning that my schedule is pretty flexible in that regard. I am a very creative person that is prepared to not only share my own ideas but combine as many ideas as possible to make a project that represents the many varied mindsets and perspectives of the 10th grade.

I have contributed to the Hackley community by being on the debate team which I have won awards in and which I plan to get back into next year, also I play 2 varsity sports, have been in every coffeehouse and would like to start some sort of African American Culture Club in the coming years, and am an active Hackley ambassador.

Some of my goals if I am elected to this position would be to make sure that the 10-grade council actually does things to impact our school lives next year. Some of these things include having the students have some choice when it comes to Hackley speakers, a more reasonable amount homework for varsity athletes, all day buffets during exam weeks because people are leaving during all times of the day. I know that I had to leave in the morning at times or was studying and had missed lunch. Some more ideas, include making community times more activity-packed because when we were in middle school we had fun activities to do during community times and now we only use it for speakers. The last idea of mine are coupons for the well and the hornet’s nest because I don’t think that it’s fair that the healthier things at Hackley are more expensive than the junk food making junk food the default. Also, the only groups or events at Hackley that give coupons on the Hornets’ nest are the ambassadors program and things like math night in the lower school. So, when we do events during community times there will be opportunities to win coupons to hornet’s nest and well coupons to the well similar to tuck bucks that were given in middle school they could even have their own name. These are just some of the ideas that I would like to bring the table if I was elected.

Greg Ochiogrosso

I think I would be a good candidate for this position because I have an outsider’s perspective because this is my first year at Hackley and I haven’t been on council here. As a result, I am able to empathize with the members of our community who aren’t on council.

I have actively participated as a student ambassador and I am also a member of the JV lacrosse team.

I would like to make council more accessible to students who are not members. I think this can be easily accomplished by sending a school wide email on a regular basis detailing what was discussed at council. This would allow the entire school to easily participate in council.

Alex Goldman

I think that I would be a good candidate for a few reasons. First of all, I have a passion for persuasive speaking and writing, and I do not mind doing a giant amount of both. Additionally, in the four years that I have partaken in Debate, I have become much better at both of these. Therefore, not only would I be a total try-hard, and spend a lot of time pitching my grade’s ideas to the faculty and Council, but I would also be effective at it, and persuade people to respect the ideas, opinions, wishes of my grade. I would also take this try-hardiness to other aspects of Council: I would be present for every meeting, Sting, Coffeehouse and Council event. But I will not be idle at these meetings, showing up just to get credit, but not paying any attention. I will do work in between meetings to make sure that projects actually happen, such as contacting restaurants for food service at Council activities, or getting together equipment for sports. I’ll also listen to the grade’s input to make sure that every decision that I make is based on the whole grade’s opinion. I will do this by accepting people’s suggestions and emails about anything Council-related and bringing them up at meetings, and by vouching for council to let the student body as a whole vote on more decisions, not just the members of Council.

As one of the two 9th-Grade Class Representatives, I have helped with the planning and actual execution of many events for Community Council, including Snowball, and movie nights. I’m also currently involved with organizing and planning other events, such as Hackley’s very first Springfest, and Field Day. I have also helped run all of Council’s little events, and fundraising projects, including food-stands and merch-selling. When Arav, Charlie, # not my prez, and I took office, we quickly realized that Freshman Representatives were not the equivalent of Mr. Wirtz, and did not have the power to fundamentally change large-scale Hackley policies. However, I have kept my campaign promise of making the student body heard. I have constantly vouched for the student body to get to vote on the specific kinds of projects Council enacts, and the kinds of merch that it sells, and many decisions were in fact made on the votes of students, not just the votes of Council. Outside of Council, I have given to all charity drives, was an active participant in Hackley’s extracurricular soup-kitchens, and have generally just gone to Stings, games, and Coffeehouses to support Hackley. I’m also hoping to start helping to take care of dogs for Guiding Eyes.

According to faculty members, older students, and parents, the increase in workload from 9th to 10th grade is the biggest jump in all of Hackley. While I know that Council members cannot change the fundamental homework and test structures that currently exist, I will do all that I can to make the jump more enjoyable for hardworking students. First of all, I will make sure to help implement a large amount of dress-down days on occasions from minor holidays to in-school events. Secondly, I will try to implement perks such as food after midterms, other large tests, and otherwise-stressful days. Thirdly, I will try to implement a High School Spirit Week, an event that was wildly-popular when I was in 8th grade, and consisted of themed dress-downs and activities. However, this time, I will make Spirit Weeks before every Sting, which will help raise Hackley morale. On the topic of raising morale, I will increase advertising for Hackley’s Coffeehouses, plays and games, and, since so many people always want to perform at Coffehouse, I will strive to have more performance opportunities, like that of Springfest this year. Additionally, I will strive to keep Hackley’s policy of having one no-homework weekend per trimester, and work with faculty to give students automatic extensions on assignments if they are partaking in a sports championship game, or in a championship debate. Finally, the whole reason I would be elected would be to represent our grade, so I will make sure that more Council ideas are voted on by the student body itself via online quiz. I would also love to hear the ideas of my grade, so I will accept emails and personal suggestions of what Council should do or improve upon.

Ava Roberts

I really care about Hackley, and my classmates. I would love to work with the council to make the Hackley experience even better.

Other than my academic endeavors, I’ve been an active participant in numerous extracurricular activities that help to enrich the Hackley community. I do my best to admirably represent Hackley athletically, and through participation in the arts. Although I’ve never served on council in the past, I would like to have the chance to better the experience of everyone in my class, rather than just my own.

Hackley as a school is well known for its high academic standards and close-knit community. The one area where students would love to see improvement is the lessening of stress due to the competitive nature of high school. Finding ways to decrease this stress through fun and collegial activities would make the Hackley experience even better.

Simone Straus

I would be a good candidate to be a Class Officer because I have been at Hackley since the first grade, through thick and thin. Throughout these years, I have been able to observe not only what qualities make a successful member student council, but also what events are successful and what my peers enjoy. I am also passionate about my class and that they have the best sophomore year possible, and hope and believe I have made positive contributions to the overall well-being and happiness of the class.

I have contributed to the Hackley Community by being present in many areas: I actively participate in multiple clubs, am an Ambassador, and consistently contribute to improving Hackley’s social and academic environments for my classmates.

My goals if elected this position are simple: to make my classmates and my sophomore year as happy and enjoyable as possible. In order to achieve this, I would love to get constant feedback from my peers and plan events that they actually want to go to. However, if elected, I would like to be present in the Class of 2021’s community not only during specific Student-Council-planned events, but in all realms, such as attempting to be present in their academic life with stress-relief-oriented events, or corresponding with clubs.