The Woodhull Intermediate School student council is ready for action after an election that saw 36 candidates run for office.
Woodhull students chose Cameron Batts (president), Hanna Boyle (vice president), Lia Zivkovic (secretary) and Rhys Carrillo (treasurer) to serve as their leaders in 2021/22.
This year’s election was fully virtual. Each of the candidates; yes, 36 of them in all; filmed a Flipgrid video for all classes to watch. The fourth, fifth and sixth graders voted via a Google form.
Elections were held last Monday. “This year’s group of candidates was one of the largest in student council history,” said teacher Jessica Risalvato, who along with colleague Scott Armyn, serves as the organization’s faculty advisor.
“All candidates did a great job with their videos and posters,” Ms. Risalvato said. “It was great to see so much enthusiasm for making Woodhull an even better place. The officers, as well as Mr. Armyn and myself, look forward to working with each other and the classroom representatives. We have a great group of students and know we will have a very productive year in student council.”
The election campaign was lively, but friendly. “This year’s election was both a thrill and a challenge to run,” admitted Mr. Armyn. “Many students were not familiar with the election process or even the role of student council. It was quite inspiring, though, just how many students we had run for officer positions this year. It shows the great spirit we have at Woodhull.”
The new officers are all set to begin their work. “I am glad to be president and want everyone to remember that even when something is hard, they should never give up,” Mr. Batts said.
The campaign was a learning experience for everyone. “I thought the election process was very fair,” Ms. Zivkovic said.
The high tech format of the campaign seemed to suit the candidates well. “I liked using Flipgrid because you could be creative,” Ms. Boyle said.
The winning candidates are all ready to roll up their sleeves and get down to work. “I am very happy to have been elected treasurer,” Mr. Carrillo said.
