During a morning assembly on Aug. 26, five freshmen stood in the middle of Benjamin Hall to deliver speeches appealing to their classmates for their votes.

The five candidates for freshman class representative were Caroline Connor, Paige Hauisen,  Daschle Searcy, Angela Sun, and Dylan Walsh. 

Even though all five are Benjamin veterans and well known among their peers, the experience was still challenging.

“Even though I’m used to it, it was kind of nerve racking when I got up to speak. But then I felt really confident because I had a lot of people come up to me afterwards and say they liked my speech,” said Searcy.

The candidates were instructed to write two minute speeches composed of a few paragraphs. Their individual voices reverberated through reflections about long-term family ties to the Benjamin community, past student council accomplishment, and visions of heightened school spirit.

As online campaigning wasn’t allowed, these speeches served as the primary means of introducing themselves as viable candidates. Even after hearing from their potential leaders,  it was hard for students to choose their representative.

“It’s difficult to vote because of personal connections, but for me I base it on the speeches and there was definitely one or two that stood out more,” said freshman voter Indira Bandekar; “it’s not easy, but I think in the end I made a good choice.”

As Bandekar said, it wasn’t easy for students to pick between their friends. Ultimately, students had to go with their hearts and choose the candidate they knew would do the right thing as a representative for the whole freshman class. 

As part of a democracy, freshman students have many hopes for how their student council representative will embody their class.

“They should be supportive during school and understanding of what the entire class wants. I feel like availability is super important when you’re representative,” freshman Emma Woody expressed.

Another freshman, Johnny Ferguson, said: “I’d like it if they could get us more free time and snacks at the concession stand.”

Votes, collected via Google Form, were cast over the week. On Friday, the results were announced: all five freshman candidates would be joining the student council.

The five representatives’ new responsibilities include but are not limited to representing their classmates. With the larger student council team, they’ll also collaborate with upperclassmen to organize events and further improve the school.

“Student council members exemplify the very best through their behavior, attendance, uniforms. Beyond that, all our reps work a day in the concession stand, helping sell food to the students, as well as helping prepare for Homecoming and Chillin’ and Grillin’,” added Mr. Zachary Rubiano, the Student Council Advisor. 

Student Council President, senior Liam Duffy, is enthusiastic about having the new freshman representatives on board.

“They all definitely have personality, which is very nice to see, and  I can also tell they’re very responsible and aren’t scared to confront people. I’m excited to see what they can do,” said Duffy.

It’s been a few weeks since the five freshman representatives were inducted into the Student Council, and it’s time for a progress check.  

Here’s a rundown of their responsibilities:

• Helping plan homecoming-related events and spirit week themes; 
• sending out Google forms to the freshman class;
• planning after school activities like Chillin’ and Grillin’;
• managing the concession stand during lunch;
• overall, being a model student who exemplifies the twelve values and is accessible to their peers.

With Homecoming rapidly approaching, the Student Council has been working to plan an unforgettable week. The representatives have seamlessly integrated into the Student Council and are bringing fresh ideas to the table. 

“It’s super fun to help plan [Homecoming] and be part of a community,” said representative Caroline Connor. 

Additionally, freshman representatives are tasked with sending out Google forms to their peers. These give students a chance to voice their opinions. As of right now, two forms have been sent out: Homecoming Court and Freshmen Spirit Day Theme. Both of these forms will help the Student Council to make Homecoming fun for all. Representatives also send out follow-up emails to inform students of poll results so that they are in the loop. 

While the main focus is on major events like Homecoming, the Student Council sometimes plans other after school activities like this spring’s Chillin’ and Grillin’. Information about Chillin’ and Grillin’ is limited at the time, but representatives are excited to start planning. 

Student Council members alternate management of the concession stand Monday through Friday, selling different snacks such ice cream, iced tea, and leftover ordered lunches. There are usually four to six members working at the stand every day. Students pay through a virtual student account, which in turn funds the purchase of decorations, games, and other amenities for homecoming.

But the biggest responsibility of Student Council representatives is being a model student. And while that means wearing uniforms properly and maintaining grades, it’s so much more. Student Council representatives are expected to embody the twelve values. Having good character makes students feel more comfortable going to them. Accessibility is of paramount importance when it comes to representing a whole grade, and the five representatives have already established themselves as resources for their peers. 

“I like that they listen to our ideas and that I can go to them. Like, even if they can’t execute them fully, at least they can execute them halfway or just make the effort to represent us,” freshman Izzy Levi-Minzi commented.