“And the winner is…” Those of us who have spent time inside Bronx Science can attest to the feeling of anticipation while hearing the announcement over the loudspeaker – it marks the end of the election season and the culmination of months of hard work for the candidates. This year, like most other school activities, the S.O. elections were conducted virtually. Candidates campaigned through social media, which was different from campaigns in years past, but still no less exhilirating. 

In order to be considered as a candidate in the primaries, each prospective student leader had to gather 150 signatures from their peers in an entirely remote setting. While this was definitely not the same as roaming the school hallways with a clipboard and pen, candidates took to platforms such as Instagram and Facebook in order to ask their peers for their signatures and endorsements. 

After advancing past the primaries, the three candidates chosen by the Senate created their campaign social media pages to engage with hundreds of students, many of whom they had not even met, due to the Coronavirus pandemic and most of the student body choosing fully remote learning for the 2020-2021 academic year. While the virtual world may seem detached in many ways, it also provides a lot of opportunity to connect with more students, even from remote locations. Asuka Koda ’23, who was elected to the position of JSLT, conducted her campaign from Taiwan, 12 hours ahead of New York. “Campaigning on social media did make the process easier. because I was able to campaign and complete outreach, just as much as any candidate, despite my geographical differences,” said Koda. This virtual election season was definitely different from years past, but all the future leaders agreed that social media, despite its challenges, allowed for widespread outreach to hundreds of Bronx Science students. 

S.O. President-Elect Skye Lam ’22 was able to effectively utilize his social media pages and online outreach to spread the word about his campaign platform ideas, especially through his campaign video. Lam’s main goal is promoting inclusivity during the upcoming school year, and he hopes to spearhead efforts to increase diversity at Bronx Science. “As S.O. President, the forefront vision of my platform is to make Bronx Science an even more inclusive community, which will be accomplished through a multifaceted approach of curriculum change to advance racial and gender diversity in our classes, facilitating conversation to amplify student voices from distinct perspectives, and hosting workshops that will teach attendees how to eliminate all forms of discrimination at our school,” said Lam. This vision, coupled with an easy transition back from remote learning, garnered a lot of support from the Bronx Science community, especially since Lam comprehensively laid out his platform ideas in a parody to the popular song, Roxanne. Skye’s catchy slogan, “Skye’s the Limit” reminds students that he looks forward to working with other student leaders and the administration to make our school environment as inclusive as possible.

Future S.O. Vice President Allison Errico ’22 hopes to improve mental health at Bronx Science by helping students to better cope with stress, especially as they deal with the stress of returning to in-person school next year after being taught remotely for so many months. The initiatives she put forth include “educational discussions to support those who struggle with their mental health and improve the general knowledge of mental illnesses within our school, the implementation of the NYU Art Therapy in the Schools Program at Bronx Science to provide students with a comfortable way to express their emotions, to open communication between students and the school dietitian Ms. Mitchell in order to help students who struggle with eating disorders, the promotion of journaling and affirmations with Post-It Days and writing prompts, and more permanent Zen Dens in the college office for students to have a peaceful place to de-stress throughout the year.” Errico has been a member of the S.O. cabinet for the past three years, and her experience in student government reflects that she will be a dedicated and passionate future Vice President. She aims to provide students with more mental health resources, increase communication between the administration and the student body, and further utilize the Bronx Science Alumni Network. Errico is very well equipped for her future position and is committed to improving our school environment.

Sud Paul ’23 has a friendly demeanor and an ability to connect deeply with his peers, which helped earn him the position of S.O. Secretary. His campaign mainly aimed to tackle diversity and inclusivity within Bronx Science, and Sud created a two pronged plan to combat discrimination: curriculum changes within our core subjects that include even more diverse discussion, and the creation of more town-hall events to allow students’ voices to be heard on a school-wide level. “To me specifically, being an LGBTQ+ and brown male brings the burden of belonging to two groups that most certainly fear the current environment we live in, in America. I find comfort in giving others a place where they can be themselves and rest comfortably, knowing that other students have their back, through thick and thin,” said Paul. In a nutshell, he hopes that every Bronx Science student will be able to share their story. While this is more of a long-term goal that Sud acknowledges may be hard to tackle in one school year, he has made an effort to start this process himself. He has personally reached out to members of the class of 2024, many of whom have not yet stepped foot inside the school building, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, in the hopes that it would ease their transition into high school this fall and make them feel included in the school community.

Afran Ahmed ’22, Senior Council President-Elect, designed a campaign platform focused on compensating for the past year and a half of remote school, giving the Class of 2022 a memorable send-off. This year, there were four candidates for Senior Council president (there was a tie in the primaries), and Ahmed rose to the challenge by creating a far-reaching campaign platform that appealed to the rising seniors. He is particularly excited about his proposal to create a Contest of Champions among the senior class, because he wants to celebrate seniors’ accomplishments and allow them to share them with their peers. Specifically, he looks forward to the focal point of his campaign, Accolades and Accomplishments, coming to fruition. “The idea is designed to commemorate our student body for the endless and amazing feats they have accomplished and will accomplish in the upcoming school year. After spending four years of commitment, dedication, and hard work, they deserve to be remembered for what they have done for the school!” said Ahmed. He sought the position of Senior Council president in an effort to give back to his peers, and Ahmed is dedicated to making their 2021-2022 senior year as smooth and enjoyable as possible. “Whether I am close with or just know of everyone in the grade, they have all collectively impacted my life in some way, shape, or form, and to serve as their Senior Council President and make their senior year the best that it can be seemed like the perfect opportunity to show them my gratitude,” said Ahmed.

Future School Leadership Team Junior Representative (JSLT), Asuka Koda ’23 conducted her campaign from Taiwan, where she has been residing since the start of the school year. This virtual election season provided her with a unique opportunity to gather votes and connect with her peers, even though she was physically across the globe. Koda’s campaign centered around three major ideas: to translate school communication into more languages in an effort to engage all parents, liaise with the school administration to help create a smooth transition back to in-person learning, and push for an even more multicultural curriculum in our classes. “These three platforms are all really important in my personal life as an immigrant, and I understand that my family and I can really benefit from those improvements in the school as well,” said Koda. Her main goal is to allow for more open communication directly between the students and the school administration. She feels there is currently some disconnect, and she hopes to bridge the gap between the student body and the School Leadership Team. “As Junior SLT, I will be providing the true student opinion and represent our needs to the best of my ability. I can’t wait to hold the position and work with staff in the SLT to better the Bronx Science experience!” said Koda. She believes that her ability to engage with adults and school officials, coupled with her dedication and passion, will allow her to effectively convey the needs of the student body to those who can effect policy and make an impact on Bronx Science. 

Each of the future S.O. leaders for 2021-2022 have a nuanced approach to improving the Bronx Science experience. Whether it is through increasing inclusivity, providing even more mental health resources, or just celebrating one another, our student body leaders have one goal in mind, to make Bronx Science an even better place. We saw their dedication through the countless hours of online campaigning, and we saw their passion as they each laid out their comprehensive platform ideas. The elected leaders all look forward to working with one another during the 2021-2022 academic year, in order to implement each of their proposals and effect change within our student body. 

Each of the future S.O. leaders for 2021-2022 have a nuanced approach to improving the Bronx Science experience.