Students begin voting for student government this Wednesday (10/25). This year, 11 students are running for class representative with 8 spots available. The Register reached out to each student to answer a few questions.
Running for Freshman class representative: Clio Barr-Brandt and Freya Heinzer.
What distinguishes you from other candidates?
Clio Barr-Brandt: “Something that distinguishes me as a candidate is my ambition.”
What is the most pressing issue at BHS today?
Clio Barr-Brandt: “A pressing issue at Burlington High School today is the escalators.”
What is your go-to Starbucks order?
Clio Barr-Brandt: “My go-to Starbucks order is an iced matcha latte with brown sugar with a caramel cold foam.”
What distinguishes you from other candidates?
Freya Heinzer: “I have had a lot of cultural experiences from going to school in Switzerland and Germany. Knowing how those schools work I feel like I know how to make schools a better and safer place. I will also listen to peer ideas, and make sure their voices are valued.”
What is the most pressing issue at BHS today?
Freya Heinzer: “The most pressing issues I’ve noticed at BHS is the environment around our school (downtown) and how it contributes to BHS.”
What is your go-to Starbucks order?
Freya Heinzer: “Grande pink drink without strawberries and light ice (the strawberries get soggy.)”
Running for Sophomore class representatives: Annie Harte, Binti Awayle and Sam Doherty.
What distinguishes you from other candidates?
Annie Harte: “I am involved in this school and I genuinely love BHS and it’s people. I believe that the students of BHS are the most important and by extension, their needs. I am a great leader and empathetic person. As sophomore class representative, I will put greatness and empathy into everything that I do.”
What is the most pressing issue at BHS today?
Annie Harte: “We have a lot of work to do in regards to our systems of communication. Important information is not being successfully shared to every student and by the same token, students do not have an effective method of getting in touch with administrators. The problems that students want addressed should be known by the people who can make that change immediately.”
What is your go-to Starbucks order?
Annie Harte: “My go-to Starbucks order is a vanilla latte or an iced mocha!”
What distinguishes you from other candidates?
Sam Doherty: “Look, I work for our class. That is my biggest concern. I always get back to you, I always reply, I’m always willing to chat. To fix the issues we are facing, we need the whole community to come together and provide ideas. I can do that. I can bring us together.”
What is the most pressing issue at BHS today?
Sam Doherty: “I won’t deny we are facing many issues here at BHS and working to fix them is my biggest priority right now. Students are unhappy with some things here and frankly that needs to change. But I know we are a strong community and we will fix these pressing issues. Just focusing on one issue can be restricting. We need to zoom out and look at things from every perspective.”
What is your go-to Starbucks order?
Sam Doherty: “Picking one is the greatest question of all! I usually go for water without ice or a fun seasonal-themed drink. But quite frankly, these are not the issues I’m focused on. When people ask these silly questions, It leads me to wonder if they are really concerned enough about the problems facing us.”
At the time of publishing, Binti Awayle had not responded.
Running for Junior class representatives: Athena Moulaert, Gretchen Fitzgerald and Krisha Thapa.
What distinguishes you from other candidates?
Krisha Thapa: “I’ve been an active voice in student government since the start of Sophomore year and I’ve worked on a bunch of school events. I’ve helped set up every dance, as well as helped with numerous clubs throughout the year. I believe I’ve contributed a lot of my ideas and I think that really makes me stand out from other candidates.”
What is the most pressing issue at BHS today?
Krisha Thapa: “I believe the most pressing issue right now is the lack of diverse voices in our student body. I’d love to see more students of color, as well as LGBTQ+ students in student government. I think student government has been seen catering towards a certain group of people a lot and I’d love to see it shift this year.”
What is your go-to Starbucks order?
Krisha Thapa: “Grande caramel ribbon crunch frappe! (Lots of whipped cream.)”
What distinguishes you from other candidates?
Athena Moulaert: “I volunteered at a sleepaway camp for a month…I learned many leadership skills and ways to communicate important information to my supervisors. I am creative and very good at problem-solving. When issues arise, I will be able to create a solution and successfully communicate with the administration to fix problems. I am determined and not afraid to share my opinions in order to fight for the junior classes’ needs.”
What is the most pressing issue at BHS today?
Athena Moulaert: “I don’t think it is possible to rank the issues at BHS today because they are all so different. First off, the issues with the inability to communicate with guidance counselors who actually respond to emails is negatively affecting students as we can not get all of our needs met. Additionally, the doors to get into the school should not be as difficult to get into…Lastly, I think school spirit is a major issue at our school…As representative, I will work to advertise games more and raise superfan attendance and overall school spirit.”
What is your go-to Starbucks order?
Athena Moulaert: “My go-to Starbucks order is a Pink Drink or a Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew in fall.”
What distinguishes you from other candidates?
Gretchen Fitzerald: “I care significantly about each person in this school. I want to hear what you have to say and be an outlet to help you feel comfortable saying it.”
What is the most pressing issue at BHS today?
Gretchen Fitzerald: “I think the most pressing issue is that admin is putting their attention towards the wrong things. An example is bathroom sign-in when there are significant unaddressed issues around preparing for standardized testing for juniors.”
Running for Senior class representatives are Grace McHenry, Rosie Perkinson and Vivian Halladay.
What distinguishes you from other candidates?
Rosie Perkinson: “I am very involved with the school community – soccer captain, Outing Club founder, and more. I have also been in student government for three years, so I am familiar with the processes and needs of our community.”
What is the most pressing issue at BHS today?
Rosie Perkinson: “I think student voice is the most pressing issue at BHS today. Students being heard is very important for our learning environment, and I want to work to ensure the needs of students are supported to support learning within BHS.”
What is your go-to Starbucks order?
Rosie Perkinson: “Small chai latte.”
At the time of publishing, Vivian Halladay and Grace McHenry had not responded to our request for information.
