With the end of the school year quickly approaching, it’s time to begin thinking about the 2024–2025 year. A new school year means different things for different people: For some, it’s an opportunity to take new classes, meet new friends, or try out a new activity. But, for two students in particular, it means taking on a major responsibility and leadership role.
I sat down with the newly elected president and vice president — Rohan D. ’25 and Mary Y. ’25 — to discuss election season, their previous work on Stud Gov, ambitious goals they have for next year, and much more!
What was campaigning and election season like this year, especially given the new rules?
Rohan D. ’25 (RD): I think it was pretty fair, and I actually enjoyed not having to do as much work as I would have otherwise [given the new restrictions on campaigning], like in past years. And — of course — my campaign was contingent on these rule changes, since I wasn’t in Stud Gov this year.
Mary Y. ’25 (MY): Likewise, I think that this opened up an opportunity for people who are abroad to still be able to run, which I think is super crucial. It was definitely new terrain, and it was interesting figuring out how to juggle [the new rules], but they were really straightforward — maybe a little scary sometimes — but overall, it was all good.
What project are you most proud of completing during your time on Stud Gov?
RD: Last year I was really proud to be part of the Battle of the Bands team; I think we put together a fantastic performance that combined multiple bands from around the school. The student body’s enjoyment and overall energy of the assembly made me proud of what I had done there.
MY: Building off of community, I’m proud of the work I’ve done in the student center: getting those chairs back was a crazy thing to get done my freshman year, and I’m super proud of building the Pac-Man machine.
What’s your most ambitious goal for next year?
RD: Gaining funding from the administration. Stud Gov gets around $2,000 a year, which is not enough to run [events such as the Homecoming Dance and May Day] and adequately fund clubs without having to ask for money at events. I think the best way to do that is to reappropriate some funds from the SAGE transition and elsewhere; we are talking to Mr. Boccuzzi and Dr. Bynum later this spring, so I hope we can open that up as a very real possibility.
MY: I’m hoping to leave Lakeside with a permanent parking solution in place. There will be a new building on the softball field very soon, so that’s something I want to counteract parking-wise. I want to hopefully leave the classes after us with some nice mornings, you know?
Speaking of next year, how do you plan on making Stud Gov more transparent in the future?
RD: One of the things is sending out quarterly newsletters. It takes a bit of time, but I think it’s good for communicating with the student body. We can also send out meeting notes and some of our project folders. Putting out those folders for everyone to see, I think, would greatly increase transparency.
MY: We have B5 [as the Stud Gov meeting time], but we don’t always meet, so utilizing one of those free B5s as a city council kind of thing where it’s open to the public and we focus more on their [Lakesiders] questions and concerns.
Who’s been your biggest inspiration while you’ve been on Stud Gov? Why?
RD: That’s a hard question, but if I had to choose it would probably be Philip M. ’22. He was such an energetic vice president, passionate about what he was doing and was a great guy — very effective in terms of his communication, and he always made us feel included in the projects that we wanted to take part in.
MY: For me, it’s probably Estelle L. ’24. She’s always just been super creative; out-of-the-box and always in tune to what Lakeside needs. It’s been super fun to get to work with someone like that.
What changes would you like to see within Stud Gov next year?
RD: One thing we can focus on is making [internal planning] timelines for our events and noting specific days when to send out emails. I know in the past we’ve definitely sent those [emails] out a bit close to the deadline. There’s also a couple events that I would like Stud Gov to put on next year, such as a job and internship fair at the end of January; a lot of Lakesiders struggle to find those summer opportunities, and I think Stud Gov could assist with that.
MY: I completely agree. As Vice President, clubs mostly fall under my jurisdiction, so that’s something I’m going to be dealing with. I just want to make sure we’re getting those approvals out on time, and that people are really feeling like they are supported in the application.
Lastly, what’s something you wish more people knew about Stud Gov?
RD: I think that people might have the perception that Stud Gov is there to “blow the system up,” in a way, and make crazy changes. But I feel like those goals changed as we [Stud Gov representatives] get older. I wish people knew that we work with the administration in many ways; we have similar goals, and I think we both really do want the best for Lakeside.
MY: Yeah, I would reiterate that we’re a team with the administration for sure. It’s our job to bring the student perspective to them and really speak to them in a way that maybe other students wouldn’t get the opportunity to. And, on that note, I think it’s really important that people know that when we sign up for Stud Gov, we sign up to have anybody at all come up to us and let us know what they’re thinking, what they want us to work on, and what they need from us. There’s no pressure, but if you have an idea and feel like, “Hey, I don’t know anyone on Stud Gov,” please don’t hesitate to approach any one of us — it’s a free-for-all. Please.
