Election day is growing closer for the students of GRC. Smoke Signals allows you to hear from the candidates in order to make an informed decision.

Freshman and sophomore classes will elect representatives to the government, while juniors and seniors will have a president and vice president. 

Freshman candidates are Warren Harris, Tayton Harrison and Karen Yang.  Sophomore candidates are Abigail Boarman, Egypt Frye and Isabelle Swanner. The unopposed junior president and vice president are Caroline Cuccinelli and Hannah Curreri.

Senior tickets (president and vice president) are: Quinton Boone and Sydney Miller, Lauren Brinegar and Taylor Rader, Brooklyn Johnson and Brea Simpson, and Corey Terrell and Will Henry. 

The election will be held Nov. 15 and 16, with the winners announced on Nov. 19. 

Faculty adviser Mr. Williamson said the voting procedures will be announced later.

“I want this club to become something that is active and is known within the school with the ultimate goal of eventually making it known within the community,” Williamson said, adding that he hopes the leaders will take on a service project of their choice.

“I really want to leave it up to them,” he said, “to decide what they want to change and do.”       

To help students make a decision, Smoke Signals asked the candidates to provide a statement of their goals if elected. Here are the responses we received:

SENIORS

Boone and Miller: “We are running for Student Government to help you use your abilities to be successful no matter what. As President and Vice President, we will enable you to strive for excellence in all aspects of life. Allow us to build your school atmosphere into a fun place to grow socially and academically. When one of you has an issue, we will stop at nothing to resolve it. Our interest lies in you. #BooneMiller2019.”

Brinegar and Rader: “Popularity or honesty? Just because others are popular doesn’t mean they will succeed in representing the student body. We want to be the voice of the students and fight
for justice, transparency, and equality. As your President and Vice President, we plan to listen to the wishes of the students and make change for our class and future generations of GRC.”

Johnson and Simpson: “We decided to run for student government because we want to see changes to our school that will not only benefit students but the school as a whole. Our campaign platforms include bringing back the one- minute bell, announcements being made throughout the week so students are informed, having a school-wide powderpuff game with the profits going toward Project Graduation, and advocating clubs for students to get involved in. We are passionate about taking the initiative to make changes to make our school the best it can be.”  

Henry and Terrell: “We are running for Senior Class President and Vice President to work for the students of GRC. We have plans to improve the overall welfare of our school. First and most important, we vow to work with the administration to resolve disputes regarding EOC rewards. Second, we plan to add a pedestrian yield sign in the student parking lot because the safety of our student body is more important than a poor driver. Last, we plan to institute an anonymous teacher feedback system to improve teaching skill.  If you vote for us, we will leave a legacy of leadership, accomplishments, and good times for the Class of 2019.”

JUNIORS
(no opposition)

Cuccinelli and Curreri: “We want to be a part of the student government because we feel we’ll accurately represent the Junior class and be a voice for our peers. We are dedicated students who will put in hard work. We want to do all we can to listen to our classmates and make any reasonable changes/additions that will benefit everyone. This could include changes to school dances, starting a class-wide service project, bringing in cool speakers, and even more. We will serve as the needed, well-rounded leaders who will make this school year the best.”

SOPHOMORES

Boarman: “Hello fellow Cardinals! My name is Abigail (Abi)
Boarman. I’m excited to be running for your Sophomore Representative. My goal is to help make our already awesome school become even more engaging, community involved, and help the overall quality of our daily student life. Having an understanding and open view of all student groups is one of my qualities that I would like to bring our student government. I am creative, enjoy thinking outside the box, always ready to listen to anyone’s ideas, and willing to work with others to make it happen. So ‘Don’t be crabby, VOTE for Abi!!’” 

Frye: “I feel that if I run for representative of the sophomore class, I am giving it a voice. Not only do I want to represent sophomores, but the entire school as well. High school should be seen as a positive environment, and I want to make this a complete reality. The school needs change and I’m here to help make these changes happen.” 

Swanner: “I have had the privilege of meeting a diverse group of students through the involvement of clubs like JROTC., Cohort, Marching Band, Cross Country/Track, and KUNA. This has helped me understand many perspectives, concerns, ideas, and interests that students have about the school. As an elected Student Government official it would be my goal to ensure the collective Sophomore voice is heard regarding the issues that impact us.” 

FRESHMEN

Harris: “I am running for Freshmen Representative because I want to see positive change for the Freshmen class. I have always thought that leadership is an important trait to have, and I try to showcase mine the best that I can. A couple changes I would try to make is putting furniture out into the courtyard so students could eat lunch out there. Also, I would try my hardest to get rid of the “stupid Freshmen” mindset. Remember me on election day!” 

Harrison: “I want to make the freshmen’s school year good or better. I want to be president because I want more responsibilities and I want to grow more mature. So, if you’re reading this please vote for me!!”  

Yang: “Usually the answer to these responses fall in the range of the same cheesy line ‘I want to make a change.’ But does that person really? I know I do. Our school is amazing, but there are always things that can be improved. I want to start those changes and make a difference in our school environment. Being involved with my peers will also help me step out of my comfort zone as I communicate with friends and strangers. By listening to others’ thoughts and concerns, and taking action, I truly believe I can make a difference.”