A lot of work goes into organizing Spirit Week, prom and many other class fundraisers every year. Much of it goes unseen by the majority of the school. In addition to their school work and other extracurricular activities, the student government meets regularly to discuss and plan school events. Originally started by Tim Bartos (‘18), this article will inform you not only who is a part of Oyster River’s student government, but also why they are interested in representing their class. Bartos conducted the interviews for all the positions, from sophomores to seniors, besides two that joined the student government late. I continued this article for him, adding all the freshman and a couple people that joined Senate late, including myself. With Spirit Week approaching, the MOR staff thought it would be beneficial for students to see who their class officers are, and what motivates them.
Name:
Kendall Bird (‘18)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘18 President
Previous Position:
‘18 President (2015-2017)
About:
A third-year ORHS Student Government member, Kendall Bird (‘18) will be 2017-2018’s Senior Class President. Bird has focused on fundraising efforts for the past two years. According to Bird, “after that, I kept re-running because I became more and more attached and involved, and more interested in it as time progressed.” Bird is excited for her last year, stating, “I want our senior year to be as fun and as connected as possible.” Bird also hopes to see greater communication between the ORHS Student Government and her class, as well as more involvement from students. Outside of ORHS, Bird doesn’t plan on continuing politics through college. Looking back at her past two years, Bird says, “I hope that I’ve made as many people happy as I could.”
Name:
Gigi Reece (‘18)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘18 Vice President
Previous Position:
‘18 Vice President (2014-2017)
About:
For the fourth and final time, Gigi Reece (‘18) will return to the position of Vice President. This year, Reece will be focusing on raising money for her senior trip and fundraisers like Mr. Bobcat. Motivated her freshman year to get more involved, Reece states that she “liked the idea of being Vice President and being able to control what fundraisers our class did.” According to Reece, there are also plans for other fundraisers her senior year. Outside of ORHS, Reece plans to apply to college as a political science major.
Name:
Shivika Aggarwal (‘18)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘18 Treasurer
Previous Position:
‘18 Treasurer (2014-2017)
About:
Preparing for the 2017-2018 school year, this will be Shivika Aggarwal’s (‘18) fourth year in ORHS Student Government. Her motivation lies, in her own words, in being, “a voice for the students.” For her upcoming year, Aggarwal hopes to do both of the usual fundraisers: a good senior trip and a good graduation. As said by Aggarwal, “we’re on track. We’re doing well.” For other objectives, Aggarwal also hopes to improve communication between the ORHS Student Government and her grade, but states that “we do work hard. Sometimes it’s hard for students to see that, because we don’t communicate that well, in our grade at least, so it’s hard for people to see what we are doing.” Aggarwal hopes to see this change. Outside of ORHS, Aggarwal does not plan on pursuing any majors related to politics.
Name:
Sophie Graff (‘18)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘18 Secretary
Previous Position:
‘18 Secretary (2015-2017)
About:
Beginning her third year in ORHS Student Government, Sophie Graff (‘18) will be this year’s Class of 2018 Secretary. Beginning her freshman year, Graff began her career as Class of 2018’s Secretary through Mr. Pappas’ World Cultures. According to Graff, “I was kind of pushed into it. Mr. Cangello came into my A-period World Cultures and was like ‘Mr. Pappas, do you know anyone you want for secretary? We have nobody running!’ and Mr. Pappas was like, ‘Sophie, take this paper and sign it!’” From humble beginnings, Graff remained unopposed as Secretary for the past two years. She states, “even though I was thrown into it, it was a great opportunity and I am glad that I was kind of given the chance to do it.” For her upcoming year, Graff notes there was a short break of the ORHS Student Government after prom, but says that Mr. Bobcat is in the works. As said by Graff, “it looks like our senior year is going to be good financially and emotionally with the students.” Outside of ORHS, Graff plans to pursue law, and possibly become a politician. However, when asked, she states,“life changes, things change, who knows where I’m going to end up?”
Name:
Emily Allyson (‘18)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘18 Senator
Previous Position:
‘18 Senator (2015-2017)
About:
Entering her third year in ORHS Student Senate, Emily Allyson (‘18) will be continuing her position as a senator. According to Allyson, the motivation for joining ORHS Student Senate came from wanting to be, “part of more of the culture of the school, instead of just fundraising. I also like to be an activist for our school, so I am very involved with things following that criteria like government and politics. I felt like [ORHS Student Senate] allowed those kinds of opportunities.” As for her upcoming year, Allyson hopes to see increased PR for the Senate, possibly adding an online link for, “people to input what they want the student government to be doing,” she says. This comes in response to a lack of communication, Allyson says, stating, “a lot of times people don’t really know what we’re doing or who their representatives are.” Outside of ORHS, Allyson will be pursuing international relations in college. Overall, Allyson states, “we’re trying our best to make the year as great as we can for everyone else, like the student body.”
Name:
Eleanor Zwart (‘18)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘18 Senator
Previous Position:
‘18 Senator (2015-2017)
About:
Joining her third year in the ORHS Student Senate, Eleanor Zwart (‘18) is looking forward to continuing her position into her senior year. In upcoming events, Zwart says her main focus is currently Spirit Week, then petering out to various other fundraisers. She also hopes to improve student spirit in her upcoming year. Originally motivated to run, “on a whim,” she says, Zwart sees the future of ORHS Student Senate being recognized as more than just an application booster. Outside of ORHS, Zwart has no plans for pursuing politics in college.
Name:
Jessie Banafato (‘18)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘18 Senator
Previous Position:
‘18 Senator (2015-2017)
About:
Looking forward to her senior year, Jessie Banafato (‘18) will be part of the 2017-2018 ORHS Student Senate for her third year in a row. According to Banafato, her motivation to join Senate came from looking to get more involved, stating, “my friend was doing it, and it seemed like a good opportunity to do something within the school because I don’t do too many clubs.” After two years, Banafato says her objectives for her upcoming year mostly include increasing participation in her class. As said by Banafato, “right now, I just want to get my class involved in the things that we do because they haven’t been happy in the past, so I want to get their opinions and make them happy.” Outside of ORHS, Banafato does not plan on pursuing politics in college, but states that student government has certainly helped improve her interest in the subject.
Name:
Nicholas Dundorf (‘18)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘18 Senator
Previous Position:
None
About:
A first-timer in ORHS Student Senate, Nicholas Dundorf (‘18), will be representing the Class of 2018 during his senior year at ORHS. Citing his love for getting involved with politics, Dundorf’s motivation to join the Senate came from personal experience outside of ORHS. Dundorf has attended various events on how to run for local office, and states, “I’ve thought—if I was staying in this state—about running for school board member or even becoming a state representative.” Dundorf already has plans for his year in Senate, saying, “I just think, overall, there is a greater need for student input, student voice, and student democracy.” His plans include creating what he calls, “a channel for students to directly make suggestions to the [ORHS] administration and to the Student Senate.” However, Dundorf also states, “I need to get a feel for what the dynamic is in the Senate, and what my role really is.” He summarizes his view by saying, “I just want to get involved.”
Name:
Lydia Hoffman (‘18)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘18 Senator
Previous Position:
None
About:
Lydia Hoffman (‘18) didn’t follow the typical path of becoming a senator. She explains, “the people on Senate were doing a good job. I didn’t want to kick any of them off our senior year, so I didn’t run. After, my friend told me that Mr. Cangello wanted to add more senators. I immediately went to go talk to him, wrote a letter of intent, and became a senator.” A couple of Hoffman’s friends are also on Senate, and she would frequently talk to them about fundraising ideas. Eventually, she decided it would be better to attend the meetings and propose ideas herself, rather than going through someone else. She states, “I’m really excited everything worked out. I got to join the team, and didn’t have to kick anyone off their senior year.”
Name:
Hannah Jane Wilson (‘18)
2017-2018 Position:
ORCSD School Board Representative
Previous Position:
‘18 Senator (2014-2017)
About:
A three-time senator, Hannah Jane Wilson (‘18) will be this year’s ORCSD School Board Representative. Originally joining ORHS Student Senate in her freshman year, Wilson says her motivation was mostly enjoying government and politics, stating, “I thought this was a good way to get into it.” In her own words, Wilson’s objective this upcoming year is to, “make sure that the [ORCSD] School Board knows how students feel and what they think.” In addition to her position, Wilson also sees some changes within ORHS Student Senate as well, stating, “We’re trying to ramp up the [ORHS Student Senate] and change what we do so people can feel like they can talk to us more and make more changes.” Otherwise, Wilson hopes to see in the future greater transparency in the Senate, as well as more responsibilities. Outside of ORHS, Wilson plans to pursue a degree related to political science.
Name:
Jordan Zercher (‘19)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘19 President
Previous Position:
‘19 Secretary (2015-2017)
About:
Jordan Zercher (‘19) will be joining the Class of 2019 student representation as the Junior Class President. Zercher was Class of 2019’s Secretary her freshman and sophomore year, stating her original motivation to join ORHS Student Senate was, “nobody else is going to do this, why don’t I do it?” Since then, Zercher still has aspirations for her upcoming year as the Class of 2019 President, stating, “I definitely want us to have a good year. [I] definitely want prom and all the big events we do to be a good experience and a great learning opportunity for me and the class, and I think I can do that.” Additionally, she also sees changes within the Student Senate. According to Zercher, “we’ve definitely had some issue with [organization] in the past, where people don’t come to meetings, and stuff happens. I think this year we can definitely work on having more mandatory meetings and just seeing a greater result from the effort people are putting in.” Outside of ORHS, Zercher does not plan on pursuing politics, but describes it by saying, “…as you go up in your high school career, it’s more and more important.” Lastly, Zercher would sum up herself as a driven student who “doesn’t hold back when it comes to important stuff.”
Name:
Rohit Kantipudi (‘19)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘19 Treasurer
Previous Position:
‘19 Treasurer (2015-2017)
About:
A third-year treasurer for the Class of 2019, Rohit Kantipudi (‘19) will be back on this year’s ORHS Student Government. Motivated to become treasurer, Kantipudi says, “I just wanted to get more involved with my class and I thought treasurer would be a fun way to do that.” As for his upcoming year, Kantipudi hopes to accomplish all the fundraising activities his class needs. However, he also wishes that students would appreciate more of the work that ORHS Student Government does, stating, “most people don’t know about the stuff behind fundraising or all the volunteering that people in student government do. I think they should appreciate us more.” Otherwise, Kantipudi sees no necessary changes to student government in the upcoming years, and says, “I just want to accomplish all our goals and pay for everything we need to pay for, nothing more than that.” Outside of ORHS, Kantipudi doesn’t plan on pursuing any form of politics, and hopes to choose a STEM career.
Name:
Haley Brown-Bloom (‘19)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘19 Senator
Previous Position:
None
About:
A newcomer in the ORHS Student Senate, Haley Brown-Bloom (‘19), will be Class of 2019’s Senator in the 2017-2018 school year. Politically active outside of ORHS, Brown-Bloom has attended rallies and marches during the 2016 Election, and she considers herself active in the political scene. As said by Brown-Bloom, “I have an interest in politics, so [student government] is a good way to set my sights on the future and get involved in something.” In her own words, Brown-Blooms main objective this upcoming year is, “making this year as best as it can be.” After her time at ORHS, Brown-Bloom plans to pursue a political science degree in college.
Name:
Laurel Gordon (‘19)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘19 Senator
Previous Positions:
‘19 Senator (2015-2017)
About:
A seasoned veteran of ORHS Student Senate, Laurel Gordon (‘19), is set to begin her 3rd year as a senator. After joining Student Senate halfway through her freshman year, Gordon was motivated by her friends and her brother to join the ORHS Student Senate. As for what motivates her, Gordon states, “I just want to be a leader in my grade and make sure things happen and we raise enough money for the things that we want to do,” citing the upcoming 2017-2018 ORHS Prom, as well as senior year. She also hopes to bring new ideas to next year’s Spirit Week, as well as changes to student government as a whole, saying, “I would like to see student senate and the rest of the government make more decisions and be listened to more.” Outside of ORHS, Gordon has no plans pursuing politics outside of high school, but enjoys the experience of being in Senate. “I work very hard and if I have an opinion and something I believe in, I’m going to get it done and make sure people know my side of the opinion.”
Name:
Devan McClain (‘19)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘19 Senator
Previous Position:
None
About:
A late addition to the Senate, Devan McClain (‘19) will be representing her class for the first time in the 2017-2018 school year. She joined because she believes student government is one of the best ways to get involved within the school. One of her goals is to, “advocate for changes that everyone wants to see made.” She would also like to “establish a better connection between students and faculty, in order to make everything run smoothly.” McClain says she enjoys the Oyster River community and is content with what she does at the moment. She does not plan on continuing politics after high school.
Name:
Dylon Thompson (‘20)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘20 President
Previous Position:
‘20 President (2016-2017)
About:
As Class of 2020’s President, Dylon Thompson (‘20), will be joining ORHS Student Government for his second year. Motivated by his father, Thompson continues to participate in the position because of his support from his class. According to Thompson, “the people who voted for me know who I am and they know where I stand.” For his upcoming year, Thompson says he hopes to, “just continue what we’ve been doing,” such as fundraising. Outside of ORHS, Thompson remains unsure whether he will choose to pursue politics in college.
Name:
Grace Castonguay (‘20)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘20 Vice President
Previous Position:
‘20 Vice President (2016-2017)
About:
After one year as Class of 2020’s Vice President, Grace Castonguay (‘20) will be returning to the position for another year in 2017-2018. Castonguay explains her position came naturally, saying, “I really feel comfortable in the leadership position, so it felt natural, with the leadership role and the opportunity to have some say in what my class does.” Castonguay notes, “I want to build upon what we got started last year. We had finally got into the groove of fundraising, and coming up with fundraiser activities that our class will participate in and enjoy.” Castonguay looks forward to a productive year, and has some unique ideas for fundraisers, like a comedy show. Overall, Castonguay plans to pursue student government throughout her high school career, but says she is unlikely to pursue it in college.
Name:
Maggie Keenan (‘20)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘20 Secretary
Previous Position:
‘20 Secretary (2016-2017)
About:
Entering her second year as Class of 2020 Treasurer, Maggie Keenan (‘20) will be joining the 2017-2018 ORHS Student Government. Looking back on last year, Keenan hopes to achieve more during her sophomore year, stating, “I didn’t talk very much during meetings, so I hope to do more this year and just make sure more people are happy.” Before joining ORHS Student Government, Keenan says she was inspired to join because she liked to organize. As put by Keenan, “I really like helping people, and maybe I’ll help people after high school and such in government, so I thought this was a good way to do that.” Outside of ORHS, Keenan hopes to pursue law in college, and already is politically active, and says she regularly writes to her representatives. Keenan best summarizes herself by saying, “I work hard and I try my best to make people happy.”
Name:
Sean Moriarty (‘20)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘20 Treasurer
Previous Position:
‘20 Treasurer (2016-2017)
About:
Joining the ORHS Student Government in the 2016-2017 school year, Sean Moriarty (‘20) will be 2017-2018’s Class of 2020 Treasurer once more. During his freshman year, Moriarty was motivated to join ORHS Student Government, as put by him, because, “it was trying something new, getting out there. I had a lot of fun last year, so this year I was going out and doing it again.” Moriarty’s objectives are well-outlined for his upcoming year—focusing on getting started early, as well as a big emphasis on Spirit Week, addressing a lack of coordination the previous year, and fundraisers. According to Moriarty, “we’re hoping, since we’re older, [students] will be like ‘oh it’s a sophomore thing, not a freshman thing.’” Otherwise, Moriarty sees no other immediate changes in student government. Outside of ORHS, Moriarty plans to possibly pursue a degree in political science, citing business and law as his other current interests. Moriarty says to those who voted for him, “stay tuned and we’re going to have good stuff coming.”
Name:
Jackson Deely (‘20)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘20 Senator
Previous Position:
None
About:
A newcomer in ORHS Student Government, Jackson Deely (‘20), will be joining the ORHS Student Senate for his first year as a senator in the 2017-2018 school year. Exploring his options, Deely chose to join Student Senate, stating, “I will get some good experience, get some skills, and find out if politics is something I want to do in the future.” Right now, Deely has no specific objectives for his upcoming year, but instead hopes to establish himself first. However, Deely is motivated, saying, “I just want to help make some of a difference.” Outside of ORHS, Deely has no plans to pursue politics outside of high school, but says that the experience of Student Senate may change his mind.
Name:
Lily Doody (‘20)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘20 Senator
Previous Position:
None
About:
Another newcomer in the ORHS Student Government, Lily Doody (‘20), will be joining the ORHS Student Senate for her first year as a senator in the 2017-2018 school year. Doody says; “I just am fascinated with the student government. I have never really taken on a position like that before, so I thought it’d be interesting to try something new.” Doody feels like her personality suits her for the job of being a senator, describing herself as “outgoing” and “not afraid to share my opinions.” For her upcoming year, Doody says she has no specific objectives, but instead says, “my main goal is to make sure all students’ voices are heard.” Additionally, she looks forward to figuring out the structure of Student Senate before making any specific objectives. Outside of ORHS, Doody doesn’t plan on pursuing politics.
Name:
Penny Brant (‘20)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘20 Senator
Previous Position:
None
About:
Penny Brant (‘20) joins the ORHS Student Senate for her first year as a senator in the 2017-2018 school year. Brant’s motivation to join the Senate came mostly from disappointment in the prior year’s Senate, saying, “I feel like in order to have a successful student government they must not be underrated. I plan that as part of my responsibility to represent my fellow students in the Senate.” Although she has no major objectives at this time, Brant notes she will be participating in talks regarding several international trips. She also hopes to see more interaction between student government and her class. Outside of ORHS, Brant also hopes to pursue some form of politics in college, as well as continue her career in ORHS Student Senate.
Name:
Ty Mountain (‘20)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘20 Senator
Previous Position:
‘20 Senator (2016-2017)
About:
The only returning Class of 2020 senator, Ty Mountain (‘20), is looking forward to his second year as part of the ORHS Student Senate. As for his objectives, Mountain says he has no specific ideas currently, but states, “I want to make sure everyone is really involved. We often talk about things, like we should [do] this but don’t leave with a set date. That’s why we might not be as productive as we can be.” He hopes to be able to improve the Senate’s performance this year. Originally, Mountain says he was motivated to join because, “it looks good on a college resume, and it looked fun. I enjoyed it the first year and I think I can make some improvements going into my second year.” Outside of ORHS, Mountain states he follows politics regularly, and might pursue the subject in college. He states, “it’s something that I really enjoy. I don’t know if I’d actively seek it out. It’s not the priority of my entire life.”
Name:
Ella Gianino (‘21)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘21 President
About:
Ella Gianino (‘21) has been interested in politics since a young age, which you may have guessed based on her campaign posters hung around the school, which featured her standing behind a presidential podium as a little girl. “I’ve always felt like politics was my calling,” she explains. Her goals are simple for now. She wants to make sure everyone feels that they have a voice and make their freshman year as fun and memorable as possible.
Name:
Aidan Janetos (‘21)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘21 Vice President
About:
Politics have always been an interest of Aidan Janetos (‘21), the Vice President of the Class of 2021. He states that he has been interested in participating in student government for years. His focus right now is to, “represent the students’ ideas and opinions and make sure all student voices are heard.” Although Janetos doesn’t think he will pursue politics as a career path, he plans to continue to learn about the science and philosophy of it throughout his life.
Name:
Owen Fleischer (‘21)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘21 Treasurer
About:
Owen Fleischer (‘21) decided to run for Treasurer of the Class of 2021 because he enjoys fundraising and feels as though he has a lot of ideas to help his class and the school. He looks forward to working with both his peers in student government and those who aren’t to achieve their goals. Although he believes, “being knowledgeable about current politics [is] of the utmost importance,” he has other interests that he’d like to study in college. Until then, Fleischer will “strongly consider” running for treasurer again.
Name:
Melanie Banafato (‘21)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘21 Senator
About:
Melanie Banafato (‘21) says she ran for Senate because she, “wants to be more involved in student voice.” Although her sister, Jessie Banafato (‘18), has been a member of the senate for three years, she does not think that had an effect on her decision to run. Her goal as one of her class representatives is to be helpful and involved in the school. She plans to continue her role as a senator in upcoming school years.
Name:
Michael Szymanski (‘21)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘21 Senator
About:
Michael Szymanski (‘21) ran for Senate because he wants to be involved in the decisions made for the student community. He likes the aspect of all the grades working together, rather than each class on its own. He hopes to change the rules about PE credit, so that if a student plays a sport, they do not need to take PE at the same time. Szymanski intends to continue being a senator in his future years at ORHS. He is unsure whether he’ll continue politics in college.
Name:
Tessa Lippman (‘21)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘21 Senator
About:
Between swimming and school, Tessa Lippman (21’) is busy. However, that didn’t stop her from running for Senate. She says, “I heard that [Senate] is really fun from several people. I wanted to do something besides swim and school, and this seemed like a great option.” She thinks that Senate could prepare her for what she wants to do later in life, although doesn’t know what that is yet. She states she needs to get more of a feel for things before she can make any goals, but overall would just like to be as helpful as possible these upcoming years.
Name:
Holly Reid (‘21)
2017-2018 Position:
Class of ‘21 Senator
About:
Holly Reid is excited for her role as a Class of ‘21 Senator. She looks forward to meeting new people and becoming involved at ORHS. She hopes to become, “a voice for the class of 2021,” and to, “help with things around the school like fundraising and planning events.” She explains that she isn’t quite sure of her goals yet, as she just started, but emphasizes that for now she just wants to help her classmates however she can. She hopes to continue to represent her class as a senator in the future.
Writer: Lydia Hoffman