Think of the Presidential Election, but in high school. Multiple candidates running for the opportunity to become Student Body President. Instead of being the president of the United States, the lucky candidate has the opportunity to become the president of the high school student body. But the role of each job has similarities, both have to deal with the responsibilities of making the rules around their respective surroundings.

Becoming Student Body President is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but it takes ambition, dedication, and courage to be able to run for the position and win. From promoting campaign posters to making promotional videos, the process of gaining votes is hard work. For Juniors, Kaley Ngo, Monte Thompson, and Vidal Gray, going around school and promoting themselves is a chance they are willing to take.

“I wanted to run for Student Body President, because I love the community, so I want to be in a position where I can impact others and see them smile. I think what separates me from other candidates is my willingness to be a legit friend to anyone,” said Thompson.

From her organization skills to her time management skills, such as balancing NHS, art club, and AP classes, Ngo’s prominence in those skills is what influenced her to run for the position.

“I’ve always had the desire to play an important role for my school, and the position of Student Body President would allow me to improve, lead, and innovate. What separates me from the others in the running is I have the time and skills to be active within my school community. I have a talent for leading and speaking to people, as well, as plenty of free time to dedicate to the school,” said Ngo.

For Gray, his motivation is to change the negative perspective of how students perceive school and change the prejudice.

“My motive for running for Student Body President is to change the way our school interacts with its students and to change the way our students view school in general. Right now, school is a chore for many students and that mindset breeds low effort, decreased productivity, and resentment towards education,” said Gray.

The role and meaning of Student Body President is subjective to most. Being the head of the school could be interpreted as a hard working role, but to others it could be another accomplishment added to their resume for college. Winning the election means different things to each different candidate.

“The title of Student Body President to me means that they should represent an ideal student at Lake Ridge. They are not better than anyone else at school, but they are humble and lift others up. What occurs after the result is the most important part about this whole election, because you can’t be all talk without taking action,” said Thompson.

With the roles of Student Body President and the President of the United States of America having similarities, Ngo believes the title of Student Body President is analogous to a role model or a friend.

“The title itself constitutes a sole individual who represents the school. Personally, it means someone you can rely on, look up to, and trust with the future of our school. The most important aspect of this election is definitely the result. The result represents the winner who was voted by the majority of the school, and who will be our next student body president,” said Ngo.

From being a friend to a role model, being Student Body President means something different to each candidate. However, the disconnection and the lack of communication is the motive and what becoming Student Body President means to Junior, Gray.

“Student Body President to me is a connection between students and the administrators. In which there is a humongous disconnection. Nothing is changing, because there is no communication. The destination is the most important, because nothing can be done on the way there. The whole point of elections is to get to be the person with responsibilities to help everyone,” said Gray.

With the target audience for the candidates being high school students from ages thirteen to eighteen, the legitimacy of the election can differ from student to student. To some it may be a serious election to see who will be the president of the school. While the other students, to other students, it may be looked upon as a popularity contest and who has more friends to vote for them.

“A lot of people make it into a popularity contest which it can turn into if you are not careful and do not think about the change you really want to make. I know what I am trying to do so I am just going to pray for God’s will to be done regardless of the outcome,” said Thompson.

In contrast, Ngo doesn’t fully believe the running is a popularity contest, but the concept of having a lot of friends will come in handy in the long run.

“I think it’s a fusion of both circumstances. I think the process of voting will be legitimate, but being well-known among the school definitely does assist those in the running and improve their chances of success,” said Ngo.

Similar to Ngo, Gray supports the concept that this election is half rooted from popularity and legitimacy.

“I believe that this election is half popularity and half legit. There are some perks of having more friends overall, but this is a school thing and the winner is decided by the students nonetheless,” said Gray.

The question for most student’s is what the candidates are going to do if they win the election. From extracurricular activities to in school events, all the responsibilities land in the hands of the upcoming Student Body President. The intentions of each candidate will inevitably benefit the future of the school.

“If I win I will benefit this school by making it a place where others can learn and have fellowship as well. I lead by example and support those in need around me. Additionally, I will create a Q&A forum for students who may be confused about how to do anything, so that others with answers can offer help,” said Thompson.

Similar to Thompson, Ngo will focus on the in-school activities and events the school offers and expects to make them better.

“If I do earn the title, I will contribute new ideas in order to help with our annual events such as Beak Week, Toys for Tots, and pep rallies,” said Ngo.

In contrast to other beliefs, Gray believed that school is run by the students and their opinions, which are valuable.

“Anyone can benefit the school in many ways. One way and in my opinion, the most effective is by just talking with students. They’re the people who are being taught and they have a right to have a say. How this pertains to me is simple, I already speak with tons of students on the problems they have with the school. And most are quite reasonable and should be fixed,” said Gray.

With each candidate comes different opportunities and it is up to the students to vote for their new Student Body President, the same way citizens vote for the new President of the United States.