For the first time in years, student council officer candidates delivered their campaign speeches live, stepping in front of their peers to make their case for leadership. Held on March 11 in Benjamin Hall, the election marked a return to a more engaging process, allowing students to connect more with candidates beyond pre-recorded videos.
The decision to reinstate in-person speeches aimed to encourage stronger public speaking skills and ensure that students actively engaged with the election. “A lot of feedback I heard last year was that very few people watched the video speeches. In-person speeches give students and opportunity to see their candidates, hear them, and know exactly who they are voting for,” said Student Council Advisor Mr. Rubiano.
The shift proved to be a defining moment for many candidates. Junior Liam Duffy, running unopposed for president, reflected on the impact of delivering his speech on stage. “Everyone heard my message, whereas the majority of people last year wouldn’t even watch the videos. Delivering my speech in person made me feel like a stronger leader and made the whole election feel much more official,” shared Duffy.
For some, the challenge of public speaking added an extra layer of nerves, but it also made the experience more rewarding. Sophomore Mackenzie Bryan, a sophomore candidate for treasurer, admitted, “It’s super hard to talk in front of a huge group of people, but I think it also helped many candidates connect more with everyone.”
Vice presidential candidate and junior Kenna Kujawa echoed Bryan, emphasizing the importance of face-to-face interaction. “In previous years when we sent the videos out, I think most of the people never even watched them. Because of the format of the in-person speeches, everyone got to hear us and really take time to think about who would be the best person for each role,” expressed Kujawa.
Beyond the format change, the election featured a competitive group of students eager to help lead the Benjamin community. Candidates included junior Liam Duffy for president, juniors Kenna Kujawa and Izzy Casey for vice president, sophomores Mackenzie Bryan and Evan Wang, and freshman Julian Koehler for treasurer, sophomores Ziva Garaj and Willow Staples for Secretary, and sophomore Zeta Kujwa for historian. Many shared their motivations for running, with a common goal of strengthening school spirit and overall student involvement.
“I want to bring back some school spirit that has been lost over the past couple years. I would love to have the opportunity to make school somewhere where students and teachers feel happy every day,” said Kujawa.
The speeches carried a mix of humor and promises for the future. Some candidates took a lighthearted approach, making the audience laugh, while others focused on the serious aspects of their qualifications and goals.
“Since I had won the role unopposed, I wanted my speech to say that it’s okay to not take yourself so seriously sometimes. I decided to basically make a joke of myself and I think everyone really enjoyed it. There definitely is a time and a place to be serious, but I wanted to play on the fact that I had already won the role and it was great to see everyone laughing and smiling in the audience,” Z. Kujawa expressed.
Following the speeches, a Google Form was sent out to all students, allowing them to cast their votes after the assembly. The form remained open until 3:00 p.m on Wednesday March 12.
After the votes closed, the election concluded with the announcement of the newly elected officers, who will take on their roles for the 2025 school year. The cabinet is Liam Duffy as president, Kenna Kujawa as Vice President, Evan Wang as treasurer, Ziva Garaj as secretary, and Zeta Kujawa as historian.
