The following students are seeking the post of Senior Class President. Here is more on these candidates.

Carmelo Martino Russo

1. Why do you want to be an officer or representative of your class?*

I would like to be a representative because I am trying to broaden the reach of my social abilities. I know that the senior class president is responsible for connecting my graduating class back together for all of the reunions. I think that I am a fantastic social media advocate with positive and lasting relationships with many of my fellow classmates. I would like to make sure I stay engaged in my senior year and I think that being involved in the school especially with end of year activities will be a great way to do this. I would also like to have been extremely active at my time at St. Joe and one of the things that I have not yet done is be a part of the student council and I think that this is a great and influential program to join and I am disappointed in myself for not joining earlier. I have also been thinking about going into public office and I think that something like this would be a great start to possibly going down that path.

2. What do you think the role of an officer or representative at Saint Joe should look like? How do you see yourself contributing to this leadership team?*

I think that the officer should be the mediator between students and school. Seeing as I am with my classmates every day that I am in school I am fully immersed in their ideas and opinions. I think that I have a gift to listen to all people and find the best way to articulate and orchestrate their ideas. I think that officer should have their own ideas (which I do) and also be able to incorporate the ideas of others into my own. I can see myself helping facilitate the end of year festivities not to mention the reunions. I find myself to be very good at articulating ideas and working with adults. I plan on fine tuning that skill in the next year.

3. What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing the students at our school today? How will you help the student face these challenges?*

I believe that the biggest challenge is a lack of communication. I can say personally that I would have a hard time reaching out to anyone on student council. I feel like the current committee does not reach out to their classmates. I think that we should have better out of school communication as well. I think that the people representatives of each class should also organize service events or events in general out of school. I do not think that I have ever done one of those and I think that not only would it be a great way to get service hours but also think it would be a cool thing to get even closer with my senior classmates before we leave. I will plan on doing these things by establishing a strong communication between me and the students and also being more engaged in out of school activities involving my class.

Braedon Troy

1. Why do you want to be an officer or representative of your class?*

    I want to be senior class president of the class of 2023 because I believe that I would bring a new and different voice to the overall council. I have participated in a wide swath of activities at my time here and have gotten to know this community and call it my own. High school is a truly unique time for us all, and the problems we face during this time can be incredibly hard to face alone. That is why it is so important for Saint Joe to have a unique and wonderful community that can serve the needs of all students, and as leaders of the school, Student Council has a responsibility to foster and better that community. Being a senior means that we also have an added degree of responsibility to set the tone for the overall community, from the senior captain of the football team to a freshman who just walked in yesterday. I believe that I truly am up to this challenge, and through my experiences in various clubs and activities both inside and outside of school, I hope to provide a fresh perspective on leading this community. I also hope to bring ideas and policies from other schools and organizations that I have taken part of or know of, and add a new Saint Joe spin to these ideas where they can service our community. Senior class president is a very large time commitment and important role within our school community, but I truly believe that I will be up to this task, as shown by my involvement and past behavior within extracurriculars and the classroom.

2. What do you think the role of an officer or representative at Saint Joe should look like? How do you see yourself contributing to this leadership team?*

    The role of a Saint Joe class officer should be someone who completely represents the student body every single day, both in and out of council meetings and events. A class officer should communicate to other members of the council what the student body wants and desires, and work tirelessly to ensure that Saint Joe is a welcoming and accepting community for all people. It is truly important that a class officer remembers that they are representing the Saint Joe community as a whole, not just their own interests, goals, or their friend group’s, on the council. I personally think I can contribute to this leadership team by bringing fresh ideas and insight onto the council, as well as tirelessly putting in the work to do the little things and tasks that make big ideas possible. As president, I will not just bring my own ideas to student council and the leadership team, but I will also bring the ideas of the entire Senior Class of 2023, and the entire student body as a whole.

3. What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing the students at our school today? How will you help the student face these challenges?*

    I believe that the biggest challenge facing Saint Joe today is a lack of communal or familial feeling amongst the student body. When people visit Saint Joe for the first time, the first thing that many say is that it “feels like a hospital”. While an actual hospital may have once stood on these grounds, that doesn’t mean that a place where students at minimum spend thousands of hours a year needs to feel the same way. As senior class president, I will propose and lead efforts to better our school environment with artwork, resources, and other welcoming displays around campus to help boost overall student morale. I also will work tirelessly to make sure all students’ voices are heard and welcomed on the council with their ideas, in addition to working well with my other council members to lead by example in being friendly and welcoming. I hope to better advertise in-house and external resources for people struggling with mental issues and other problems that countless students face, and make sure that the student body is better able to get enthusiastic about special events that further build community.

Joseph Nemeti

1. Why do you want to be an officer or representative of your class?*

I want to be a class president because I want to represent the SJ community well, and address legitimate issues faced by the student body. I intend to listen to, and solve all problems faced by my fellow students to the best of my ability. Through my years of St Joe I have discovered that many people have the same complaints about the school, but are not exactly sure how to address these problems. Many school government representatives seem to be absent and distant from the general population of students. This causes students to not even consider bringing up issues to student government, which leaves contacting administration directly as the only option (which many students don’t want to do).

2. What do you think the role of an officer or representative at Saint Joe should look like? How do you see yourself contributing to this leadership team?*

I think the role of President of a class should be someone who is the connecting bridge between staff and students. Presidents should be able to address issues and communicate between administration and students to resolve issues of both sides. Presidents should also serve as role models for all classes, in academics, morality, and school pride. I see myself contributing to the leadership team of St Joe by remaining a listener for school issues, and becoming a diplomat to staff on behalf of concerned people. I see myself helping St Joe become a more fair and understanding atmosphere.

3. What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing the students at our school today? How will you help the student face these challenges?*

One of the biggest challenges facing the student body is excessive anxiety, and lack of cooperation among students. St Joe has a very academic driven atmosphere, which has the negative effect of causing large amounts of stress in students. Our school community has seemed to accept this problem rather than addressing it, and many students view anxiety and even depression as “part of the high school experience.” I will help fix this by improving awareness, and advocating for better mental health-help resources other than the counseling department. Another large problem I see is lack of cooperation among students. Instead of being united with school pride, many students are rather divided. Students are not accepted by some of their peers because of their political affiliations, religious beliefs, or appearance. This greatly troubles me, and I believe the source of this exclusion is not because students are different, but because students lack pride and gratitude in Saint Joe. Perhaps due to academic stress, or perhaps due to recent controversy, Saint Joe needs school pride, and a better relationship between students and faculty. Additionally, while less important, I would attempt to make changes to the announcement systems at SJ. I notice that a large majority of students don’t pay attention to the morning announcements, and for valid reasons. From my perspective, announcements have veered away from being a source of important information about events and athletics, and have embraced a lot of material that seems to have the goal of simply filling time. Perhaps efforts could be taken to have more school events discussed, or even current events broadcasted. I think that doing so will greatly improve the quality of, and student attentiveness to, announcements.

Gabby Trinter

1. Why do you want to be an officer or representative of your class?*

I desire to be Senior Class President for the Class of 2023 for a multitude of reasons. For starters, I feel that I can adequately communicate the needs and wants of the Senior Class to the board of student council. Throughout my participation as a Freshman and Junior Class Representative, my communication skills have significantly improved. As Senior Class President, I will exploit this skill to the fullest extent. Another skill that I have developed that will be utilized is my sense of urgency. As I have navigated high school and the challenges it presents, I have gained and grown a sense of urgency that I frequently put to use. By employing this skill hand-in-hand with my communication skills, I will be able to address and resolve the most pressing issues here at St. Joe High School.

2. What do you think the role of an officer or representative at Saint Joe should look like? How do you see yourself contributing to this leadership team?*

The role of a St. Joe officer should possess and maintain an inventory of characteristics. A leader should be very aware of both themself and their peers, in the sense that they should prioritize those being represented yet still focusing on personal development. This combination will result in an effective officer because they synchronously build and exercise these skills. Innovation and critical thinking is another vital characteristic an officer should retain. It is irrefutable that St. Joe experiences similar issues each year whether it is substandard representation or poor community among students, however by puting innovative thinking to use, these issues will be more adequately addressed and resolved. Finally, it is a necessity that a student government officer is civically-minded. This trait is imperative to hold because it ensures that just resolutions to issues are put into practice and that every single student is equally represented and taken into concern during student council discussions. I am not saying that an officer should only house these characteristics, but they are at the essence of what the role of an officer at St. Joe should look like.

3. What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing the students at our school today? How will you help the student face these challenges?*

As a student who has spent much time at St. Joe High events and even observing typical school days, it is conclusive that the community at St. Joe is one of the most prevailing issues that must be rectified. As much as I hate to bring up COVID-19, it is important to note that the community here was much more inviting and encouraging prior to the lockdown. With the isolation that the pandemic instilled, all of the positive aspects of our community at St. Joe have nearly been diminished. Sporting events at St. Joe are an easy and effective way to rebuild the spirit and community at this school. It is undoubted that sporting events such as football and basketball will receive much attention, however there are countless other sports and events that deserve just as much love and appreciation, such as the cross country team and the track and field team. Both of these sports are rigorous and should receive just as much support as other, more mainstream sports. Other extracurriculars that deserve a lot more attention is our quiz bowl team. The St. Joe Quiz Bowl team is hands down one of the most successful teams in St. Joe history. As Senior Class President, I would spread more information, encouragement and promotion of the lesser known extracurriculars. Ultimately, by shedding more light on under-appreciated groups at St. Joe, community and school spirit will be fueled and replenished to pre-COVID levels.