Getting to Know Your Grade Reps (2020-2021)

Congratulations to Ethan Anderson and Conor Newman on becoming our school's President and Vice President! However, a good president needs a good council, and now's the time to choose it!

Each candidate was asked to answer 3 prompts:

1. Why do you think you should be elected as your grade's Student Representative?
2. What do you hope to achieve as Student Representative?
3. Write a short bio about yourself

Elections will be held on Wednesday, September 30 so be sure to go out and vote!

The polls have now closed and the results are as follows:

Freshmen: Julia Dennehy and Max Wachter

Sophomores: Ben Persily and Peter Passaro

Juniors: Emmi Freeman and Faith Walton

Seniors: Jake Murphy and Alisa Kukharkin

Congratulations to our new representatives!

Julia Dennehy

1. I think that leadership holds a very important role within society. I observe the freshman class and there is a lot of diversity, some members are very outspoken and confident, others are a little more reserved and shy. By choosing me to be your class representative, I will be someone to lean on. I will listen to you when you need to talk, regardless of the circumstances. It’s obvious that sometimes it is easier to talk to your peers about an issue than to talk to an administrator. Whoever the other representative is, and I will be sure that there are always open lines of communication between us. Additionally, it is vital to our school community that everyone voices their concerns and opinions, along with suggestions of potential solutions to problems within our community. We know that the success of our community as a whole does not depend solely on one person, or the success of a select few. Success comes with our community being a safe, comfortable place in which students and staff feel at home. I know that if I am chosen to represent the class of 2024, I will create a strong bond with my peers and be a trusted individual in which they can talk to at any time of the day.
2. As a student representative, I will have open lines of communication with my peers. As I stated in my answer to the previous question, I will be a voice for my classmates. By the end of this school year I hope that the class of 2024 is more tight-knit than ever before. I am hoping to be able to voice how important it is to communicate with and be able to see our friends in the other cohorts. Having a socially distanced activity that enables both cohorts to see each other in person and form meaningful relationships. I’m hopeful that the other class representatives will agree with me. By uniting, I am confident that the student council will be able to arrange some sort of opportunity for us to socialize. I also hope that I will be able to promote acceptance within our community. It has become more clear to be and others over the past months that we need to do better. Learning about, and respecting other people’s cultures, beliefs, sexual orientation, gender, etc is beyond important. I will exhibit these views and do everything in my power to further educate my peers on the power of acceptance. Finally, I will contribute to the fun that we experience in school! I know that I enjoy talking with my friends outside and playing wiffle ball at the Italian Center. If my peers were to have any ideas/concerns about these practices, I would voice them and try my very best to contribute to their fun experience(s) while attending school.
3. For those of you who do not know me, my name is Julia Dennehy. I am a freshman and new to King. I currently play field hockey on varsity and am planning on playing squash in the winter, and lacrosse in the springtime. I enjoy hanging out with my friends and playing with my two cats in my free time. I also love practicing and improving my field hockey skills. I have been playing field hockey since second grade and I hope to play at the collegiate level one day. I also love to travel, although I didn’t get to do very much of it over the summer. My favorite place I have ever been is Japan. Everyone there was so kind and respectful. There was a clear understanding of all of the rules that were in place and the importance of following them. This is a key aspect to an organized society.

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Max Wachter

1. I’m glad you asked. I have 3 years of experience on the Student Council, so I will be able to serve the student body very efficiently because I know how to get things done. I will take my position, your concerns, and your ideas very seriously. I know that the most important part of being class representative is being your advocate. I will make sure that your ideas are heard and your concerns are addressed. Thank you for considering me to be your representative and advocate.
2. As class representative, I have a few ideas that I want to implement. I want to give the Upper School a late start after Super Bowl Sunday. I will also work with Vice President Newman to give everyone dress down in the Italian Center. If elected, I will also try to change lunch so that students do not have to eat with the same people each day. However, the most important thing that I hope to achieve is to serve my classmates well and implement their ideas.
3. I am Max Wachter, and I am running for 9th grade class representative. This is my fourth year at King. I love skiing, baseball, rowing, and listening to my favorite artists like Logic and Kid Cudi. I also enjoy being with my friends, and playing cards and Nintendo games with them. My favorite TV shows are the Midnight Gospel, Rick and Morty, the Office, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. I am also a diehard Yankees fan.

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Chase Brown

Did not respond.

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Eli Lowe

1. I believe that I should be elected as my grade’s Student Rep due to my leadership skills, my willingness to put in hard work for others, and my love for this school. I have led many programs in my life that helped me become a better leader and helped me learn how to stay organized in leadership roles.
   One of these leadership positions that I am currently in is running my own ice cream business. This summer, I started a non-profit ice cream business where I make my own ice cream and sell it to people around my neighborhood. All proceeds go directly to the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry and to date I have raised over $1,200. Throughout the summer, I learned how to lead and work with other people. I also learned how to manage my time and production. All of these qualities are important, especially when it comes to leading the 10th grade. I’ve also done other service projects in the past which show how willing I am to put in work for other people. One of these projects was when I spearheaded a water bottle collection drive at my old school. Starting this project was a lot of work and it took me a lot of time to get everything ready, but I was able to create a program that raised over $500 for deforestation in Haiti. I am happy to put in work for those in my community in the same way that I put in work for others in Haiti.
   Finally, I believe that I would make an effective class representative due to my love for this school and this tight knit community. I have gotten to know many of my peers and I look forward to getting to know many of them further if I get elected. This school also has done so much for me and really helped me grow as a person, so I want to give back to a community that has given so much to me. I believe that it is due to my leadership abilities, my drive to do hard work and my school spirit that I am a great fit for the position of 10th grade class representative.
2. As a student representative, I hope to attempt to bring a sense of normalcy to this school year. During this tough time, it can be really hard to feel like normal, which can really take a toll on people’s mental health. Though we would still be abiding by Covid guidelines, I would like to bring back or create programs that would help bring back some routine and some normalcy. Some ideas that I have are attempting to bring back ice cream during lunch, morning munchkins, king talks and wearing dress-down at the IC. These programs would help boost mental health and would help make King feel even closer as a community. I would also like to make sure that we help foster that sense of community by connecting as a class to a greater degree. I want to make sure that even though our grade is split based on location, our many friendships and our tightly knit community won’t be split based on cohort. One idea I have to circumvent that from happening is allowing people in the IC/home cohort for that day to zoom in with their advisory for lunch. Another thing that I think is important for me to do as a student representative is making sure that we create a more inclusive community. I want to make sure that everyone feels accepted and that no one is discriminated against. I want to make sure that we as a community accept people of all races, religions, ethnicities, sexes and sexual orientations. Finally, it is very important to me that everyone’s thoughts are heard and brought to the student council. I want to be there for anyone who needs me. I will make sure to listen to people’s beliefs and ideas and directly report them to the student council. I will make sure that the 10th grade is accurately represented in the student council. If I get elected, I aim to bring a sense of normalcy, find ways to connect, make sure that everyone’s thoughts and beliefs are heard and brought to the student council, and try to create a more inclusive community.
3. My name is Eli Lowe and I am a 10th grader attending King School in Stamford Connecticut. Though I go to a Connecticut school, I actually live in Westchester, New York. In my free time, I love to cook and bake. My favorite things to make are bread, ice cream and steak. I also sing, play piano, and play bass. I have been playing piano for 9 years, been playing the bass for 6 months and have been singing for around 5 years. I also played in a rock band with some of my friends for a couple years. In my free time, I like to play video games, read, and work-out. I also love to travel and have been to over 10 countries. I also love playing with my labradoodle, Theo. At school, my favorite subjects are science and computer science. This is also my 3rd year at king. It’s also my 2nd year on the crew team.

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Rex Morris

Did not respond.

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Peter Passaro

1. I think I should be elected as class rep because I see myself being one of the most fit for the job. I did it last year as a freshman and I listened to the students in my grade and tried to take their concerns to the council and Mr. Coloumbe at times.
2. I don’t really have a set goal as to what I’m going to do as a rep but I will listen to my peers and share their concerns. All I hope for is that I can help anyone who asks me. That is truly my main goal.
3. My name is Peter Passaro, I am a sophomore at king, I consider myself a decent human being, I am on the football team, overall kinda neat not gonna lie.

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Ben Persily

1. I hope to have the opportunity to serve as my grade’s student representative for multiple reasons. First, I bring a lot of past student council experience. I was elected to serve as a student rep at King last year, and elected to serve in middle school for all three years. I enjoyed my past service very much and was committed to making school a better place for everyone, which I would work hard to continue to do.
   As I mention in my speech, the student council system could be improved in some ways.  I would bring my knowledge from my past years of service, including bringing systems and activities that were very successful at my old school, to make King’s student council run more efficiently so that we can accomplish more together.
   I am also very open when it comes to communication. As a representative, I want anyone who has questions, concerns or suggestions to reach out to me either in person or via email or text.
   Another big reason I’m qualified for this position is my leadership skills and experience. As I just mentioned, I have a lot of past experience at my middle school and last year serving as rep, and leading the class. Not only that, but this year, I was chosen to be co-leader of the Math Teacher’s Assistants Club. I hosted the students at the virtual club fair, and was able to move the math help center to partially online, so students in the other cohort could access it as well. I am proud to lead this club in particular because the work is helping all of you.
   I am also very motivated, hard working, and team-oriented. I want to get a lot of things done in the student council this year, and hard work and determination are two of the most important aspects. Cooperation and teamwork are also imperative things to have in a student council. After all, we are a council, not just one person, so I want to work with the other council members closely. Not only do I want to work well with the student council, but also with everyone reading this. This is because what really matters is what you all want, which goes back to what I was saying about reaching out to me.
   Overall, I am qualified to be a student council representative because of my experience in student councils and leadership, my communication within the council and with all of you, and my drive to be the best student council rep I can be.
2. I have many things that I want to accomplish as a student rep. Since this year is a unique one, I want to do things to take advantage of the fact that we are partially online. I want to have things such as movie viewing we could watch together and online games we could play together. I also want to talk with the athletics department about sporting events we can do. This could mean basketball and volleyball competitions within King, or games like spikeball. These will give kids an opportunity to hang out with their friends from the opposite cohort.
   I also want to do more food events this year. This includes bringing food trucks to campus, munchkin Mondays, and other food events. Some may say it’s impossible with current social distancing guidelines, but I already have plans in mind, such as bringing the food to advisories.
   Additionally, I want to attempt to improve the lunches, and give kids options for snacks. We shouldn’t have to have a sandwich for lunch everyday.
   I also want to work on dress code. I want to try to make the dress code more relaxed, and change the fact that we have to wear dress code while we are in the Italian Center.
   As I previously mentioned, communication with all of you is very important. That’s why the number one thing I want to accomplish is what you all want to accomplish. As a student council representative, I am your representative, so I want to represent your ideas.
3. My first year at King was last year, and I love it here. Before that, I went to Scarsdale Middle School. I have one sister in 8th grade at King, and a dog named Juliet. She’s a labradoodle, and is very cute. Oh, and my parents.
   My favorite subjects in school are math and science. I play squash and tennis, including on King’s teams. I am also a member of King’s math team, STEM club, debate team, and ambassador’s club. But if elected, student council would be my top priority!
   Outside of school, I like hanging out with friends, playing video games (favorite is Smash Bros. and mainly on Switch), and watching anime, TV, and YouTube. A fun fact about me is that I used to play chess competitively, including state and national tournaments. If you see me in school, I’d love to play a game of chess or talk about anything! Thank you so much for reading, and please vote for Ben Persily!

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Billy Bernfeld

1. I’ve been asking myself this exact question for a long time, and after a great deal of thinking I’ve come up with a single conclusion: I’m not doing this for the clout. Sure, being class representative would be really fun, but I’m doing this because I feel that I can make genuine change in my community. Many people run for this position to exert power and influence, or at the very least to boost their reputation. In my eyes, however, I see the role of class rep as a more humble and dignified position. I’m not running to get some sort of trophy, and I certainly don’t want to hold power over my peers.
   While I do want people to vote for me, I don’t think saying, “Put your faith in me and elect me for class rep!” is the way to go. After all, being a class representative isn’t about getting people to see me as a leader. I want to use my communication skills to partner up with my fellow students and let their voices lead all of us to the future we see approaching-- after all, it’s their perspectives that I’m supposed to emulate! In running for this position, I want to create a platform for people to believe in themselves and each other; to do away with the ridiculous notion that we can’t influence our surroundings just because we exist within a large community. In my eyes, it’s the individual that makes the community what it is, and therefore belief in oneself is the key to making real change.
   I find it funny, really, that this role is defined by the representation of my peers -- because really, who’d be able to represent a set of experiences other than their own? This election isn’t about me getting to join the Student Council Board; it’s about finding a way to use my abilities to make my peers’ perspectives, identities, and struggles visible to the people who actually decide what goes down here -- so that in due time this community, united by our uniqueness and willingness to be different, can represent its collective identity by giving voice to the disenfranchised among us.
   True, the road ahead will be treacherous, as centuries of systematic oppression doesn’t just get solved overnight -- I think history has proven that to be more than true. I know that we aren’t going to solve everything during my 2020-2021 term, and I don’t expect us to; I want to get the gears in motion for future generations at this school so that we don’t have to wait for a catalyst figure in the student government to appear several years down the road, when our situation may be far more grim than it is already.
   This campaign isn’t about me or my role as class rep -- it’s about our right to be heard, and to stand side by side as one student body.
2. As I explained in my campaign video, I believe we need to reform how we educate and represent ourselves, both socially and politically. In this eurocentric, cisheterocentric society, if we are to better both ourselves and our community we cannot do away with BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ education, and so I plan to, in collaboration with my community, implement programs that better inform our fellow classmates on the issues concerning our world and how we fit into the narrative. As one, we can work together to better this community and usher in a better future for everyone by honoring the demographics and stories that make this world what it is today, and that will make it what it is in the future.
   Granted, my privilege as a white person prevents me from understanding the experiences and struggles of the BIPOC community -- but what is privilege worth if we don’t use it for the greater good? I want to acknowledge the stories, voices, and emotions that my peers are experiencing, and I want to work together in this civil partnership to ensure that we are all heard; that the social and political injustices that persist to this day are addressed head-on. It’s only when we learn to embrace each other’s differences that we grow to set them aside and unite as one family, and so representation is of utmost importance both to our grade and to our school overall.
   I especially want to reach out to activist and similar clubs such as Milestones, the GSA, and the Feminist club, as well as the Jewish and POC affinity groups -- with consent from the groups and clubs themselves, of course. If my campaign is about communal benefits, it’s going to take everyone we can reach out to just to make a small change.
   Together, we can work to implement education and representation programs that highlight the legacy of our demographics, as well as the histories they share. I hope to work side by side with certain groups to get guest speakers involved at this school, i.e. Schuyler Bailar (he/him), a transgender rights activist, or perhaps Scot Esdaile (he/him), leader of the Connecticut branch of the NAACP.
   I especially want to encourage community events and/or artwork that exemplifies the pride that the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities deserve to express, such as installing pride flags along the glass staircase in the Upper School, or perhaps hosting a student leadership seminar on identity and the vexillology, or flag-making, shared by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ identities.
   With the right mindset and a willingness to take risks, we can make genuine change at this school and usher in what I believe to be a new age for this school -- one of peace, acceptance, and equity. As I said, before, I do not expect anything to be solved within the next year -- but if we all work hand in hand, we can make sure that we get the ball rolling for new representatives to carry the torch.
3. Hello, everyone! My name is Billy Bernfeld, and I’m so happy you took the time to read over my campaign details! I am genderfluid, hence why my pronouns are he/him and they/them, and I identify as pansexual. My favorite movie is the narrative film Alien Planet, and my favorite animated series are Attack on Titan, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, The Owl House, Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars -- both the 2003 and the 2008 series. My interests include creative/analytical writing, cooking, baking, astrophysics, game design, speculative biology, alternate history/counterfactuals, 3D modeling/animation, reading pulp/Lovecraftian horror, journalism, et al, and I’d love to get to know yours! In fact, I am planning to jumpstart the first-ever alternate history club under the leadership of Mr. Lear-Nickum -- so if you love worldbuilding, history, and political science, come on down and have a fun time deciding when the World Wars took place, or when the first nuclear warhead was dropped! If anyone is feeling upset, scared, or just needs to talk and/or vent, please contact me at [email protected] -- regardless of time of day, location, or schedule, I will be here for as many people as I can.

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Emmi Freeman

1. I believe I would make a difference as a representative, as I am an active member of the King community and really exemplify the four king virtues: kindness, perseverance, integrity and respect. I am a kind person who shows empathy towards others, I persevere on and off the court or field, I have an strong sense of integrity, which is why my fellow peers elected me to the peer review board in 9th grade, and I always show respect as well as empathy to my teachers, coaches and fellow peers. This year it is crucial to have a leader that will create an environment that all of us can thrive in, especially due to the current pressing issues. As we all know junior year is stressful, and it has been heightened this year due to the global pandemic and social injustice in our country and community. As a representative, I would do everything in my power to address these issues, concerns and try to create a positive atmosphere for all students. I am a friendly person, who works well with others, and would always be open to anyone’s suggestions.
2. Some ideas that I have are having days where we can social distance while seeing some of our other friends in the other cohorts, having lunch with people besides people that are in the advisory, reading the news in the morning to stay informed on current events and as well as events similar to stressbusters. I think that it is important for all of us to stay safe during this unprecedented time, and I hope that we can come up with some safer alternatives to usual school events and activities. I also would like to address the social injustice in our community, and have regular forums for discussion. My main goal as a representative would be to make everyone feel as safe, comfortable and heard as possible, in both aspects. I am very open to new ideas and hope you will vote for me as your class representative!
3. I have been going to King for the past 12 years, which makes me a lifer. I play 3 varsity sports, soccer, basketball and softball, and last year I captained the JV girls basketball team. I have a younger brother who is in 4th grade in the lower school. I really enjoy spending time with friends, going on hikes and reading. My secret talent is that I am really good at bowling for no explainable reason (without the bumpers of course). My favorite subject is English or History, because I like to write and learn about current events/past events. I collect houseplants, and spend ridiculous amounts of money on this pastime. If you are not in my cohort, then you probably don’t know that I color coordinate all of my outfits, which my friends usually point out. Some of my favorite TV shows include The Office, New Girl and Criminal Minds and my longest Spotify playlist is 9 hours, but I don’t know if that is impressive or not.

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Ryan Hammoud

Did not respond.

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Faith Walton

1. I understand when voting for someone, qualifications are always a deciding factor. Although not participating in class rep for previous years I feel as though I have come to a point where I could try to embody everything people want in a leader. Whereas before I would not have been able to live up to those expectations. I have spent the past two years getting comfortable at King and with my peers which now allows me to be more informative as now I know who my peers are. But I also have taken the time to learn about the community by joining various clubs in previous years and pushing myself to try new things. With this being said I said I think I would be able to grow into the job and take criticism from peers to be the best I can.
2. When considering if I should run for Class rep I took some time to think about what that meant in terms of success as a grade not just personally. I also took some time to think about the role and its realistic limitations. But that just means that as class rep you have to think outside of the box in order to help your peers and ensure a happy and fun year. Especially of Covid that creates another barrier to overcome or simply shift the way you think. I re-evaluate all the things my peers like to do in terms of covid. We all enjoy playing sports as a community and almost depend on it as a nice break to the hard work day. I would want to implement those kinds of covid friendly “stress busters” considering Junior year will only get harder. But with this new schedule and remote learning some teachers can be a little too enthusiastic with teaching causing hours of work to do. But I understand that it can be uncomfortable to tell your teacher that they are assigning too much work, so I would take on the responsibility of notifying teachers to be a little more understanding about workload. But because I am one of the voices for my grade I would also want to talk to peers about other things we change or keep the same as the school year progresses.
3. I have always had an interest in community service and anything I can do to help other people. I view the position of class rep as a way to help others. I want to be able to help my grade during this very difficult time, not only because it is Junior year but also because of Covid. I try my hardest to be a nice person and to be welcoming to anyone I meet. I also like to think that I can take criticism well which would allow me to grow into the job.

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Charlotte Alexander

1. I believe that I should be elected as the senior grade rep because I believe I can make a difference. I have been going to King for ten years now, and I believe that I can make a positive impact due to how well I know the school. Throughout my years at King, I have seen the highs and lows of the student council, and believe that I can make the year all highs, instead of lows.  My credentials include being selected as a field hockey captain this summer for the varsity team and my volunteering at the YMCA in Wilton for archery. As well, I believe I am a good leader willing to take up any challenge for the benefit of the grade. Going off of that, within the first week of school, I emailed Mr. Coulombe to ensure that the wall at the door would be painted over white as so we can have our signatures on as soon as possible. After discussing with Mr. Coulombe over email, I talked with him on Tuesday and he has confirmed that it is happening this week. Depending on when these speeches and this article goes out, it might already be done! (Happy Signing!!!) That is only, what some would say, ‘the tip of the iceberg’ of what I can accomplish as your grade rep. As well, I am very persistent and I won’t stop until the job is done and our senior year is the best that it can possibly be.
2. As the senior classes grade rep, I hope to achieve a multitude of things. If you know me, you know I love my sweaters, and I find it silly how button-down shirts of any color array (take Jake Cohens from last year, for example) is allowed, but a simple striped sweater isn’t. As well, I will strive to make sure that non-king hoodies/college hoodies are allowed into the dress code. I have seen students wear college hoodies in support of their older sibling going to it, but they get dress coded. I believe that this is unfair considering they are supporting their sibling, and I will work hard to resolve this issue. As well, I feel it is important to mention some safe ideas I have for senior events during these challenging times. Some ideas consist of a drive-in movie at the turf field (much like Ethan mentioned), socially distanced senior stress busters (because if you know me you know I love Christmas sweaters and I will make sure senior ugly sweater day happens), and our senior pizza party (I will see if it can happen in the spring). I will find safe alternative solutions to issues presented and will send out google surveys near big events to ensure that your voice is heard, and that our senior year is the best that it can be.
3. If you don’t know me, hi. My name is Charlotte Alexander, and I have been going to school here since 3rd grade (still mad I’m not considered a lifer, but saying ten years is a pretty cool fact :) ). I love to watch movies and look into their deeper meaning (cough cough join film club), as well as watching TV (My favorite show right now is either Brooklyn Nine Nine or The Umbrella Academy). I enjoy listening to Daft Punk, Hayley Williams, Lizzo, and many more. Shifting away from entertainment, I love to draw and sing, and am on the varsity field hockey team (goalie). While I am not saving shots on goal, I am always free to text/talk to when you have a question/a problem. If you don’t know what I look like, look for the girl with short blonde hair and wearing some sort of sweater that is breaking dress code (for now). I hope to have your vote, and hope you have a great rest of your week!

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Nico Camacho

1. I believe that If elected class representative I will bring back the joy of what it is like to be a senior at King. Over the past three years of being a high schooler I’ve seen how King has been able to boost morale and positivity with each senior class. However, while I understand that the coronavirus pandemic has definitely put a lot of restrictions and important protocol to follow, I believe that our senior class has no joy and excitement of being a senior. I will bring back the spirit our class needs, more than ever, and I will make this senior year, even with the global pandemic, the best year of high school.
2. I hope to work with the school not only for my class but for the school as a whole. I want to make our community and grade are united and connected among one another, and that we can make it through this year with the pandemic, in a safe and positive way. Positivity is the number one priority on my mind when it comes to what I want to achieve as class rep.
3. To make this short and simple, I am a pretty simple guy. I love a good meal from Glory Days. I am always up for a round of 18 or 9 either at Sterling or The Griff. For those who don’t know, I’ve been a theatre person basically my whole life. I'm from Ohio, Go Buckeyes, and I’ve lived in Texas, so I guess you can say I’m pretty much a cowboy from the midwest. An interesting fact about me is that I sing jazz outside of King. And lastly I have more than two last names.

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Ryan Heaton

1. I believe I should be elected as my grade’s rep because I know this school very well and have a lot of experience in getting things done with the administration. Since I came in freshman year, I have been active in all different aspects of the King community. Throughout the last two years, I have spent a lot of time working with the tech department and the administration on multiple projects regarding technology at King. I also am familiar with a lot of the behind-the-scenes aspects of technology at King. Especially this year, when we are using technology more than ever, I believe that it is important to have a representative on the student council who is able to have an informed opinion when it comes to these things. I will use my experience and prior knowledge working with the higher-ups at King to make sure that real and meaningful change will be made to benefit the whole student body as a whole. I will listen to the needs and wants of the entire student body, and I promise to take everyone’s ideas into consideration. I have already proven to the study body to be able to work with the King administration through my iKing app project (which is coming soon, I finished all of my stuff, I’ve just been waiting on the school to do a few things for over 6 months now.), and this year more than ever, our student body needs someone who can get things done quickly and efficiently. If you want things changed, and changed quickly, I’m your man.
2. As a student rep, I hope to achieve many things. A lot of our student reps in the past have made many campaign promises that were never followed up on, so I think we should get new faces in to try and do what they were unable to.I also agree with many of the sentiments of my good friend and our president, Ethan Anderson. I will fight hard to attempt to relax the dress code, plan engaging and fun social events, and come up with creative ways to use our school’s technology like never before. I will also fight to make sure that our lunches come out quickly and smoothly, and will be able to take student complaints seriously and make sure that they are heard by the people who need to hear them.
3. My name is Ryan Heaton. I have been at King since my freshman year and have really enjoyed my time here. I have two siblings here, a brother in 10th grade and a sister in 9th grade, as well as 3 dogs back at home. I have never run for a spot in student government before, but I have been very active on many clubs and sports teams at King. I participate in the ASPIRE program, doing meaningful research and developing artificial intelligence for use in cancer diagnoses. I have a vast range of knowledge when it comes to technology, computer science, and the internet that I have already used to make King a better place. Additionally, I have a passion for music, and have been playing piano for over 12 years. I am always willing to help a classmate with a homework problem or a computer problem, and have been doing tutoring for a range for subjects since my freshman year.

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Alisa Kuharkin

1. I believe I should be elected as one of the Senior class reps because I’m passionate and ready for the commitment to making Senior year memorable for all of us. In the classroom, I’ve built strong foundations for learning, organization, time management, and being productive. Outside of the classroom, I’ve developed other skills such as leadership, communication, integrity, empathy, being an active listener, and having an open-mind. I feel that all of these skills have prepared me to be a strong leader and one who’s easy to talk to about anything. I’m ready to work with Ethan, Conor, and the rest of student council to make Senior year one that stands out as well as lead the Senior class in being positive role models for the grades below during an especially strange time.
2. As a Senior class rep, I hope to bring our grade together and uphold many of the traditions while also incorporating new ones. I also hope to step out of my comfort zone and form new connections. However,  I’m completely open to listening to everyone’s thoughts, opinions, and ideas. As a leader, I hope to make a positive impact in this community, be a support system, and make sure everyone feels that their voice is heard. Senior year tends to be a stressful time with college and grades on everyone’s minds, but I believe we can make this year as stress-free as possible. Balance is an important value to me, and I will strive to help create balance for everyone in the Senior class. I think Senior stress-busters that follow the school’s protocols, like food trucks, would be uplifting, and I hope to have more senior activities like spikeball, cornhole, or soccer-tennis on the turf field. It’s also still possible to uphold traditions like Senior privileges and spirit week, so I will make sure to keep those in mind.
3. Just a little bit about me: My favorite sports are soccer, tennis, and the combined sport of soccer-tennis, which are the sports I play here at King, and this year I’m one of the captains of the girls soccer team. Unfortunately, I’m an Arsenal fan, and my favorite tennis players right now are Naomi Osaka and Dominic Thiem, who both just won the U.S. Open! :) I’ve been a leader of the Girls Advancing in STEM club for the past two years, and I love art even though I still can’t draw very well. I’m known for having the Sunday scaries every Sunday, being obsessed with corgis, and drinking an unhealthy amount of iced tea. My quarantine activities included cooking, rediscovering my obsession with Harry Potter, trying (and failing) to improve my running, and playing lots of tennis.

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Marina Malin

1. I believe I should be elected as a 12th grade representative because of my ambition, drive and overall passion for King. I have been at King for 13 years now and believe that this is a big advantage because I know the school in and out. I wholeheartedly believe in King, and want to make it even better for the students. I am passionate and determined and know how to get the job done especially when it is for my classmates’ benefit. I am passionate about letting the student’s voices be heard about their experience at King. I genuinely find so much pride knowing that I can make productive strides to improve King for the students.
2. As a student rep, I hope to make this school year the best it can be. Times are difficult and we are all adjusting to new routines and lifestyle but that does not mean that the community and bond within King has to change. As seniors, a lot of traditions and privileges are put on the line due to the world’s current state. As class representative, I hope to work around this issue to ensure that each tradition and privilege will be upheld - under covid protocols of course. As for the community and bond, I would like to create activities that enhance our class’ relationships and student life through food trucks, bonfires, cornhole matches etc. Overall, I want to advocate for our class and meet their needs and desires. I want to collaborate and create transparency between the council and the students. I want to be an advocator for our class and let our voices and ideas be heard.
3. I am Marina Malin and I have been going to King for 13 years. One quality of mine that stands out is my adventurousness. For as long as I can remember, I have always loved to try new things. I often get teased about my “adventurous” appetite, eating and enjoying just about any type of food. I am always excited to learn about new things, try new activities, explore new places and challenge new ideas and philosophies. I am a lover of the outdoors and introspection and my friends love to call me a “spiritualist”. To this end, I am a very open-minded person and like to share the good in each situation. I am a people person and look forward to making deep connections with people I meet. I am always open to talking to almost anyone because I believe that if we open ourselves up to it, we can learn and grow from every person we cross paths with.

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Thomas Mandel-Mantello

1. In the past I have noticed a lack of change from student representatives. However I never really thought of this as that big of an issue. I mean like how many changes would actually be worth making that are also in the hands of student representatives. However this year has changed my views on this massively. Now we find ourselves in this hybrid system that has brought with it many new problems. In order to fix the problems of this new system, we need some new voices to bring about that change.
2. I hope to bring about more relaxed conditions for the senior, and hopefully other classes. This year is already going to be very tough, but I don’t see why certain restrictions are still in place. The first two issues I will work on relate to dress code for athletes and a potential work around for seniors who have tons of frees but can’t go home due to sports. The middle school already has a relaxed dress code for athletes but why doesn’t the upper school? I hope to work on these issues.
3. I have been at King since freshman year and really got involved with the community since then. I have played on the Football team for 3 years now and my favorite memory at King was our win last year during homecoming.

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Jake Murphy

1. For the past two years I have been the representative for the Senior grade. I believe that more than qualifies me to finish my last year at King on the student council. I have the most experience out of anyone, and I also have the full intent on making big changes this year as it is the last time I will be on the King Student Council. I know the infrastructure of the council better than anyone, but most importantly I know its weaknesses and strengths. This year especially has many unique opportunities for the student council. There are so many different issues we could fix and projects that I hope to work on. I want to heavily rely on community input to decide what the council should push for this year. All I need is for the Seniors to vote me back for another year and I can get started on making King better.
2. This year especially gives me many opportunities to push new projects and fix flaws in the system. We all know this has been a rough start to the year. My main goal is to take the suggestions of the Senior grade and use that feedback to fix the system. While I will of course push my own projects, I want to specifically represent the ideas of the Senior grade this year. In the past the student council has been hard to reach at best. I want to work to make the government way more accessible to community input. It’s not up to us to push our own agendas. Our jobs are to REPRESENT our grades. I want to be able to bring your ideas to the student council, and act as a bridge between the administration and our own views of how the school should be run.
3. My name is Jake Murphy and I have been on the student council for the past two years. I have done everything at King from rowing on the crew team, to acting in the school musical. I like science stuff and art stuff. My favorite food is chicken tenders and french fries. I am currently rewatching the entirety of breaking bad even though I watched it before and never finished the final season. I am considered by many to be a “pro Among Us gamer”, and I’m always down to play.

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Alesia Paz

1. I believe that I should be elected as senior representative due to my experience in leadership positions and my commitment to bettering the school. Throughout my time at King, I’ve consistently worked with faculty and students to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion. I’ve helped raise awareness, organize events, and facilitate conversations on a variety of topics. I hope to bring that same energy as a class representative.
2. I’m running on a platform of reform. As we are all well aware of at this point, King has struggled with discrimination against minority students for years. By being elected as class representative, my increased proximity to faculty would make it easier to implement change. If elected, I would focus on creating a better, more inclusive curriculum that broadens King’s Eurocentric perspective. Additionally, I would organize enjoyable and fun fundraisers for organizations dedicated to uplifting marginalized communities. As representative, I would also be open and amenable to hearing what other students would like to see happen at King, and do my best to execute that.
3. My name is Alesia Paz, and I am 17 years old. My birthday is in June, which makes me a Gemini. I’m bilingual and have a passion for reading and writing. I hope to become a lawyer and/or politician one day. Also, I have a dog that I love very much. :)

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Sophie Pigott

Did not respond.

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