Grade Eight Elections

By Victor Yin. Photos by Victor Yin.

The drama studio was thrumming with noise and excitement during fourth block on November 29th, as the Grade 8 cohort packed into folding chairs to listen to speeches from a few of their fellow peers. Eleven candidates, an impressive number, presented their platforms and ideas in hopes of being elected as one of two Grade 8 representatives in Student Council.

“We’ll fundraise for fun events,” we heard confidently from Joon Choi first. “I’m Joon Choi and I’m here to win.”

“I am passionate about making our Grade 8-year count. First, if you elect me, I will work hard to represent you. I believe that we all have our values and strengths,” Shaw-Ern Seel stated next in his well-organized speech.

 Adam Shiuji spoke after: “I’m a hard worker, I’m super creative, and I have good leadership. If we were lost in a forest you could rely on me to get you out… I can help represent all of us Grade 8s at Alpha… We’re a team and we can do this together.”

“I’m a hard worker and I get the job done. Some people like to call me smart, I actually prefer the word ‘factual,’ because I understand the world, human body, and mind, and just how [and] why things happen,” Jason Chan said. “I want to contribute to Alpha.”

“Regardless of who wins, our election is a time for fresh approaches. I’m a classic guy with fresh ideas, lots of energy, and dedication for the school,” Sebastian Ortega summarized before concluding his speech.

“If I can go to Student Council, I can host events and organize different activities,” Nicholas Leung stated next.

In a long, passionate, well-planned speech, Sunnie Sun described her platform: “I think that I should be elected, because not only am I determined but because I’m willing to dedicate my time and energy to work towards making this school year a little bit better for everybody… I can work towards doing things like updating the food items in the vending machines, raising money for a new microwave, organizing dances and maybe even a talent show.”

Harry Jiang followed up. “We are in Grade 8... [the] start of the most important five years of our lives… This year, I want what happens not to be about me, but to be about you. Your thoughts, your voice, and most importantly, your ideas. So by voting for me, you’re really just voting for yourself.”

“I will work hard so you can play harder,” Amy Ricker began persuasively. “I believe Alpha is an amazing school, but I think that we could make it better. I want to build community and have an atmosphere that makes everyone feel safe, and that we can all trust each other. ”

Daniel Ma proceeded to outline the details of his plans, namely supporting the school’s athletics. “I believe that [Alpha] is the best, and I want to make it better… We [have] some of the best athletes in the Lower Mainland… I will create more fundraisers that are more focused on sports and athletics so that we can treat [athletes] the way they bring pride and honour to our school.” Ma proceeded to impersonate Donald Trump, with an endorsement to himself.

Finally, Hannah Sidhu concluded the speeches. “From the first day I arrived at Alpha I knew that I wanted to be involved… I may not be the most well-known person running for student council, but I promise to listen to each and every one of you. And I keep those promises.”
The student body listened carefully and applauded enthusiastically after each speech. All the speeches were interesting and unique. Kevin Zou, current Student Council president, found the time for a few words as students began to clean up and return to class to submit their ballots.

“They all look like pretty promising people,” Zou noted when asked about the candidates this year. “I’m hoping that we’re going to find two really good representatives for this grade, they look like they have some really ambitious, albeit some unrealistic ideals... I’m glad that they’re really taking a leap forward and try to make change in our community. I know it’s really hard to do that, and it’s an initiative that Student Council is definitely looking for,” he added. 

The following day, the results of the election were announced during in the morning announcements. Joon Choi and Sunnie Sun had collected the most votes and are now the Grade 8 representatives for Student Council.
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​Many things lie ahead this school year, especially for these two newly-elected representatives. Only time will determine whether these two representatives will keep their electoral promises. One thing is for sure—Student Council will have many more exciting events this year!