Campaign posters lined the hallways throughout May, marking the arrival of election season at Fort Hamilton High School. With just over twenty candidates running for positions in Student Government and Senior Council, the elections this year came close.
At Fort Hamilton, Student Government is responsible for organizing behind-the-scenes procedures, while Senior Council is responsible for organizing senior events. Each role is critical to keeping Fort Hamilton running smoothly, and thus, choosing the right representatives is an important part of the election process. “The Student Government elections are a pivotal moment for our school, offering students the opportunity to directly select their representatives,” said Ms. De Paula, coordinator of student activities and advisor of Fort’s student government.
Christian Williams, the newly elected Student Government President, is responsible for facilitating connections between administrators, the executive board, and the student body in order to propose effective plans for the school community.
The Vice President, Devin Moore, will oversee clubs and manage new club applications, updating the club directory and attendance. The new treasurer, Natalie Tam, will manage the budget, funds, and fundraising, especially in accordance with clubs. Student Organization Secretary, Laziza Ismatullayeva, will be responsible for documentation within student government and will send out weekly newsletters to the Fort Hamilton community to keep them in touch with student government updates and club news.
Sophomore Senator Jing Zhang and Junior Senator Stamatis Karathamos will join returning Freshman Senator Vivienne Hamond in representing their respective classes by proposing events and bringing their classmates’ concerns to the executive board.
“Getting elected means that the school and your peers put their trust in you,” said Karathamos. “Now that I am elected, I intend to keep those promises or at least attempt to implement some of my ideas into the school. Getting elected was the easy part; it’s making a change that’s the hard part.”
Senior Council President Koey Mei will work alongside Senior Council members Venus Acevedo, Kristiana Lee, and Aniya Shah in planning events for the senior class and addressing their concerns during their final year of high school.
Junior Devin Wong, who has served three years in student government, reflected on his experience in student government when speaking to The Pilot. He first applied to student government as “a shy and timid freshman” who “built up the courage, applied for the position [of Freshman Senator], and won.” Although participation in Student Government was “definitely outside of [his] comfort zone,” he maintained that it is one of the best decisions he has ever made.
“Student Government was my first ever extracurricular activity at Fort Hamilton,” he said. “It allowed me to break free from my shell and become more involved at the school. If not for Student Government, I know for sure that I would not be as involved in the school as I am currently.
“I enjoyed talking to and working with each and every single e-board member. Each of my previous colleagues brought something special to the table. I feel very fortunate that I am able to leave my high school knowing that I made an impact,” Wong added.
As for this year’s student government, Tam claims, “We already have a lot of fun ideas planned and are hoping to make them all come to life with the help of each other and some other determining factors.”
As new e-board members join student government, Fort Hamilton can expect new initiatives as those of previous members will continue to have an impact on Fort Hamilton High School.
