With King easing into the start of the first semester, elections for the members of this year’s King Student Council are in full swing. It can be hard to keep up with who’s running for what when school work continues to pile up, so here’s an overview of all the candidates running for each position!
Grade 9 Representative Candidates
This batch has seen the least amount of candidates running for grade 9 representative among recent years, but those who stepped up definitely left a lasting impression on the grade 9 students at King. The candidates for the position are Ayman, Eqra, Zainab, and Sauda.
Though many grade 9 students seemed reserved about what they wanted to see at King this year, the candidates have gone all-in on social media campaigning despite it being their first time running.
An anonymous group of grade 9 students mentioned what they look for in a representative. “Someone who’s genuine,” one said, “and who has experience, like a valedictorian.” The students all agreed that experience is a valuable trait to look for in candidates. though a strong campaign can also sway people.
“Everyone’s videos were really entertaining,” another said, showing how a strong campaign can also sway people. Putting out fun content for students to engage with helps them recognize certain candidates when the time comes to vote, so those running for grade 9 rep should make sure to get their names out there!
Grade 10 Representative Candidates
Though the number of competitors for the spot of grade 10 representative aren’t many, the contenders have displayed their passion and commitment to running for the role. The candidates for spot of grade 10 rep are Zahara, Tammy, Dhivya, Evangeline, and Ayan.
Though students often tend to favour those with past experience in leadership roles, there’s still room for new candidates to run and bring new ideas to the table as there’s many opportunities for the younger students to gain new experiences in councils – and hopefully on KSC for these candidates.
The candidates this year had highly engaging campaign content that even had higher grades taking notice. Kurt, a grade 11 student, was especially impressed. “Katseye and TWICE? They know their audience.”
Tammy, one of the grade 10 students running for the spot of representative, has some comments on how she found the experience to be after running for the first time. “I really liked meeting new people, and it was fun thinking of ways to promote myself.” She made sure to take in current trends, using popular songs in her videos to attract the audience.
Their videos online are just one of the many ways the grade 10s managed to engage the students, so this year’s grade 10 rep position is going to be one to look out for – every candidate really brought their best foot forward!
Junior Communications Candidates
Grade 10 representative isn’t the only position where the grade 10s can shine on KSC – junior communications is one of the positions that gives the junior students a chance to contribute to KSC in a different way, and gain experience that they can later apply to all sorts of councils, clubs, and real-life scenarios.
This year’s junior communications position had two grade 10 candidates fighting a close match for the spot. The candidates for the position are Ishan and Daniel.
Campaigning for a spot other than a grade representative may be new to them, but the two managed to get creative with how they planned to win the favour of King students. Ishan’s cutout of the basketball player – and now somewhat of a pop-culture icon – Lebron James was highly entertaining to the student body, and Daniel’s poster designs were eye-catching and had people remembering his name.
But Faraz, a grade 10 student, disregards all the flashy campaigns. “What matters is who’s better for the job.” While the statement is vague, it highlights the importance of speaking through actions rather than words. When push comes to shove, it’ll be about if the candidates can back up their claims!
Junior Secretary Candidates
The spot of junior secretary is another position that allows younger students to showcase leadership in other areas on KSC, and one where the candidates will have to win votes not only from their grade, but all of the students. The candidates for the position are Noraiz, Lujain, and Kay.
With three candidates running for one spot, each of them had to step it up and play to their strengths in order to win over the King student body. Lujain, one of the candidates in the running, had the advantage of previous experience on KSC as last year’s grade 9 rep – but the other two candidates weren’t about to let that discourage them.
The candidates especially used social media to their advantage. Noraiz was able to contact students of all grades through social media, and get his name out there and remembered even by older students.
Some even seemed to have a theme going for their campaign accounts which managed to catch people’s attention. Kay, for example, decided to go with an “office siren” theme – a wildly popular look online that involves putting a stylish spin on corporate wear. She dedicated a lot of time to her campaign, and enjoyed every second of it. “My favourite part about running was coming out of my shell, and cringing at the posts I had to make to win people’s votes.”
Despite the cringe, running for the junior secretary role will surely be a highlight of the candidates’ high school careers to look back on no matter who wins.
Grade 11 Representative Candidates
Working our way up the grades, grade 11 representative often has students with leadership experience running which forces them to think outside the box with their campaigns. The candidates for the position are Nishuti, Judah, Wahi, and Aadit.
Despite the emphasis on past experience, grade 11 student Siyam assures that it’s never too late to start now. “Wahi’s never done anything like this before,” he says, “But that could be a good thing. Newer candidates can bring fresh ideas to the table.” Evidently, what’s most important to the grade 11s is the ideas of each candidate and what they can bring to the table.
The four each had wildly different campaign content despite all adhering to current trends, and made sure to earnestly communicate with the grade 11 students in order to understand the things they wanted to see this upcoming school year.
Nishuti, as the only female candidate, garnered support from many grade 11 girls like Kreesha and Nezumi. “She’ll definitely get votes from many of the girls,” they said. More female students like Tanjina and Shamita expressed their wish to see their voices conveyed through female representation on the KSC.
As a candidate with experience in leadership on the King Wellness Council, Nishuti still believes that she can contribute more to the King community. “I think KSC should do more events that have students talking,” she says, showing the change she hopes to bring to KSC.
Despite the goals of each candidate, they’re still making sure to have a good time with the experience of running as a whole. Judah, one of the grade 11 candidates, carries a positive outlook on the campaigning aspect. “I found it fun putting out videos, even though it’s kind of stressful talking in front of everyone.” Nishuti agrees with the notion of enjoying the experience, saying “I got to know so many more people, and I learned a lot.”
Senior Communications Candidates
Though senior communications is a position available to both grade 11 and 12 students, the role was taken over by enthusiastic grade 11s who have ran before, and are ready to take another chance at winning a spot on KSC. The candidates are Ryley, Shaayan, and Tabee.
This year’s batch of candidates put the “communications” in senior communications with colourful posters and attractively-designed posts online. The strong social media campaigns of Ryley and Shaayan caught the attention of many students at King, who entertained themselves with the candidates’ relatable and funny videos.
On the other hand, Tabee leaned into his experience as a previous grade 9 rep to sway people with a show-don’t-tell approach. With the various different approaches the candidates took; from online collaborations with fellow candidates, to conducting interviews around the school, the student body was impressed with the contenders for the spot of senior comms.
Though the competition was intense, the candidates made sure to take the whole thing in as a learning experience. Shaayan, one of the candidates, gained a new appreciation for the King community through campaigning. “I got a greater understanding of what it means to be a leader,” she says, which really goes to show how valuable an experience campaigning can be.
Senior Secretary Candidates
This year’s senior secretary candidates featured students with a firm grasp on who their target audience is, and a good understanding of what it means to be a part of KSC as a secretary. The candidates for the position are Afra, Owen, and Abdullah.
Afra, an experienced candidate who was on last year’s KSC roster, talks about what the position of secretary means for her and what she’s learned from her experiences. “Running is a good way to learn about leadership and get feedback from the community,” she says, looking back on her role last year. “A lot of people run for the title but I think talking to people, being around and involved in the community, is what makes me me in a way.”
It’s important not to forget the importance of community and the responsibility that comes with a spot on KSC. The aspects of connecting with students and coming out of one’s shell that come with running for KSC can shape one’s identity a lot, and the candidates for senior secretary take that seriously.
The opposite of serious, though, is lighthearted – exactly what grade 12 candidate Owen kept in mind while making campaign content. His humorous videos had a lot of students interested, like grade 11 student Labiba. “His reels were funny to watch and it made him memorable,” she says, placing value in fun. Laughter remains one of the best ways to connect with people, after all.
With the senior secretary candidates this year understanding the balance between work and play, it’s undoubtable that any one of them would make a great fit for KSC.
Student Senate Candidates
This year, there wasn’t much of a fight for the student senate position. The role is open to grade 10s, 11s, and 12s, but there was only one person who ran and claimed the seat. Philip, a grade 11 student, is confirmed as King’s student senate representative. He has prior student council experience, so he is sure to do a great job as senate representative this year.
Grade 12 Representative Candidates
The positions for grade 12 representatives were also automatically granted this year. By default, Damien and Fariza are King’s grade 12 representatives, as they were the only two that ran for the seat. Damien has had three years of student council experience, fulfilling the roles of grade 9, 10, and 11 representative. He’s already proved that he can do an amazing job, so students are relying on him for another amazing year. This is Fariza’s first year on King’s student council. Her peers know her as a very enthusiastic individual, and trust that she can make their last year at King a memorable one.
Vice President Candidates
The seat of vice president had the most intense competition as the second most important role, and the contenders were all well-recognized students that made voting a hard choice for many. The candidates for this position are Dulansa. Amarie, and Alex.
Dulansa, as the only grade 12 running and three years of KSC experience to draw upon, carries a positive outlook towards the elections, “Running for VP was such a valuable experience, and I’m grateful for everyone who supported me.” Though she understands the weight of the position, she still carries an appreciation for the process as a whole. “This year’s campaigning has been the best yet, with so much energy from all the candidates.”
The candidates were sure to use everything at their disposal to win over King students, pumping out as much content as possible and making their faces known around the school. Alex, who was a grade 10 rep on KSC last year, recognizes social media campaigns as a determining factor in elections. “Social media campaigning makes a huge impact on how you connect with the student body, and can certainly dictate whether you win or lose.”
Connecting with the student body was exactly what this year’s batch prioritized, and it garnered each candidate a staggering amount of popularity. Many King students were torn on who to vote for among the powerhouses. Tristan, a grade 11 student who is friends with both grade 11 candidates, was especially conflicted. “Alex had a strong, confident approach and speech,” he starts, “But Amarie’s was thought-provoking and sounded authentic.”
Even grade 12 students are struggling between supporting their fellow grade 12 with years of experience and confidence versus the grade 11 candidates with fresh ideas and enthusiasm to engage with the King student body.
Faced with the pressure of the fierce competition, even Amarie, a grade 11 candidate well-known around the school with two years of KSC experience and determination to improve the high school experiences of all the students, is getting worn out. “This was the most stressful week of my life,” she says in jest, but the truth to that statement shows in her eyes.
Campaigning for such a highly sought-after position has evidently been strenuous on the candidates, but they continue to make the most out of the experience and acknowledge their own efforts. “I did my best, so I’m satisfied,” Amarie says, and reminisces on the fun she had putting together campaign videos and the hard work that went into each one.
President Candidates
The position of president wound up becoming a special case; there’s a certain student who secured his spot as the president of the KSC with no competition. Ahnaaf, a grade 12 student with three years of previous experience on KSC, was selected as president by default with no other candidates running to compete for the seat.
Though no vote was involved, there’s no debate on Ahnaaf’s position as president – he’s earned the seat through his tireless dedication towards his community and the leadership skills he cultivated during his time on KSC.
Now entering his fourth year, Ahnaaf is thrilled to be helping to put together memorable events for King students. “I’m excited to be on KSC as president!” he said, and he’s already looking forward to the upcoming school year. “Can’t wait to see the amazing people I’ll get to work with, and start planning for the year ahead!”
With competitors this dedicated to the King community, each and every one of them will be sure to put the same effort towards advocating for the changes King students wish to see this upcoming school year.
