Upcoming Freshman Elections

Elections for Student Council are coming up for the freshman class of 2029, and several candidates are preparing. Yet, many students are unsure of what is happening. 

“I don't even know what Student Council is,” said freshman Pannziri Arjana Lapus. Another freshman, Keely Benson, seemed even more bewildered: “did we have a student council at our school? I'm not sure.” 

It is likely students do not realize the impact they have. Sonya Eide, a freshman, stated that the Student Council influenced her middle school in ways she could recognize. “We have to raise money,” she noted, adding that StuCo also helps “like plan major events, and help make good decisions for the school.” 

According to Kumu Eva Palakiko, the Student Council is “about student voice, student choice, and nobody can represent the student better than the students themselves.” 

Student Council is behind all the non-academic activities and fun that students experience throughout the year, she added. “Without student government, students wouldn't want to come to school because there wouldn't be any fun activities or events for them to attend.”

Another category of student officials, students on Leadership attend monthly meetings and assist officers in the planning and execution of grade level events. Those running for Leadership are Maile Zambrano, Tiana Larita, Kristine Tumpap, and Travis Utrillo.

The Candidates

Marjorie Carillo is a newcomer to student government, though she says she is excited to join. She’s ready to plan fun events, meet new people, and bring fresh ideas to the table. “I really want to be involved and help make our school a better place for everyone,” she says.

Though Carillo was not a part of student government in middle school, she has begun in her first year of high school to think about what she can do for her fellow students and how to do a good job at it.

She mentioned her plan to listen to student ideas, to put on meaningful events, and to work with teachers and other leaders to make our school more connected and positive. She describes herself as someone who is “honest, hardworking, and truly cares about our school. I’ll listen and do my best to make this a great year.”

Seilala Samisoni longs “to uplift my peers through this journey and ensure that all students feel understood” and she is eager to make friendships and create connections with peers.

She has leadership experience from middle school, but she has not played the role of president before. To her, the importance of Student Council and Leadership is to make her peers feel heard and supported: “While this will be a journey with challenges here and there, it will be a chapter of our lives that I feel is worth being memorable.”

“My motivation to run for this position is truly my classmates,” Mariah Kauvaka states. Once a Laulima representative in middle school, she’s now running for a leadership position as Vice President. She holds an optimistic view, aiming to create a “big and better” environment for the entire school community and wants her classmates to feel “understood” and “heard.” She wants to ensure everyone has a voice. As Vice President, she said, she hopes to advocate for cleaner bathrooms. “I overall want the best for everyone.”

Cami Yasutake hopes to make “this first year of high school really fun for my class as well as the whole school.” She discussed her previous leadership experience as vice president in the seventh and eighth grade. She’s been actively involved during summer, attending Student Council meetings to plan for homecoming events. As vice president, she would like to “bring our class closer to one another.” She wants to encourage more student involvement.

“Why not try something new?” Kendall Pasalo answered when asked about why she decided to run for office. She added that high school should be all about new experiences. Though Kendall does not have much experience, she said that she is “committed to making sure their voices are heard.”

“Secretary is all about getting things done and taking notes,” Pasalo described. “I think I'm great at doing both.” In her role as Secretary, she plans to keep things organized, and to make sure this Student Council is on task.

Harana Peralta is also running for secretary against Pasalo. She sees the Secretary office to increase engagement in her class and inform students about what’s going on. “A lot of people don't actually do that,” she commented. While she has also never served in student government, she said that she’s good at taking notes and emailing. She’s also enthusiastic about planning activities and says that with no activities, “it’d just be pretty bland.” Like several of the other candidates, she also looking for ways to increase student participation since, she noted, “no one participates.” 

“I care about my peers, no matter if they hate me or like me, I care about them,” said candidate for Treasurer, Brielle Ramelb. “I have been taught to manage finances efficiently because my mom is an accountant,” said Ramelb, who sees herself as uniquely qualified for the job. 

Ramelbʻs brings previous leadership experience as 7th grade president and ASB president in 8th grade at LIS. She also has attended several leadership conferences and says that “helping people is one of my passions, and Student Council allows me to use my passion to help.”

Sofiya Cartagena is running for Historian because she enjoys making graphics and doing digital work. She is an avid social media user and likes documenting what is going on. Photography is also one of her hobbies and she thinks she could use her skills “to help collect memories to show people on social media.” 

Cartagena is also familiar with the job she is running for. She did graphic design and posted daily bulletins for the school account in middle school and brings 3 years of leadership experience to the table. “I also love having fun,” she added, “and can’t stand having no fun at all. I can bring people together who are different from each other in unique ways.”

“...the kids that people just gravitate to…”

“I think that it's really important that students are able to get and have the opportunity to share and provide their input on how they would like certain things to happen at school,” said Michelle Brummel, a Math teacher and acting freshman class advisor. “Student Council provides an opportunity.” 

For some, Student Council is a place for those who are brave enough to put themselves out there, and who help make changes and create a better school community. Or, as Kumu Eva described it, “Those are kids that you are like ‘Oh I want you to be song leader … I want you to take charge of this committee’–because they are the kids that people just gravitate to.” 

“I find typically those that step up are pretty successful in school,” said Brummel. She explains that those in leadership have a great influence over their peers, as they’re taking on a huge role. She adds, “it is important to have positive leaders for our freshman class.”

Kumu Eva offered some wisdom for our student leaders. “You're never gonna make everybody happy. All you can do is try your best and see what the majority wants and then try to make those things happen.” Her message can be summed up: don’t give up. “Stick to it and just persevere. Being a leader is never an easy task. And without you, your whole class, including yourself, wouldn't be able to participate in any activities.”