During these unprecedented times, the students of Bronx Science have had to adapt to our current circumstances in numerous ways. Due to nationwide school shutdowns as a result of COVID-19, this year’s Bronx Science S.O. election candidates had to campaign online through social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook. Most candidates agreed that Instagram was a very useful platform in terms of connecting with students, but not having any face-to-face interactions with the student body presented a challenge. “An online campaign took away exciting parts of the campaign such as the physical debate in the auditorium that is open to the whole student body and candidates being able to walk through the halls wearing sandwich boards,” said Ahona Rana ’22, future S.O. Secretary. However, all of the future student body leaders agreed that they were able to reach a large audience through social media. Since their posts were available to everyone throughout the campaign, students could access everyone’s platform ideas, and decide who to vote for. The first virtual campaign season was both a challenge and an opportunity for the candidates to connect with students on a new level. 

President-Elect Sophie Poritzky ’21 felt that she was able to effectively connect with the student body mostly through Instagram because her platform ideas were able to reach hundreds of students. Her objectives for the upcoming school year are centered around the importance of mental health, as she plans to provide students more days to relax and show their school spirit. For example, Poritzky aims to introduce an SAT day for juniors, which would allow them to unwind and relax the day before the test. She also plans to create more collaborative and cohesive ways for students to share advice about course selection in an effort to decrease stress. Poritzky has been a member of Cabinet for the past two years and is passionate about bringing change next year.  “Great ideas are one thing, but people only benefit when they are brought to life,” said Poritzky. 

Logan Klinger ’21 also aims to focus on mental health as S.O. Vice President next year. She plans to create meetings for both parents and students to discuss mental health initiatives. Additionally, she wants to encourage all departments to implement policies that replace students’ lowest test scores and introduce a way for students who do not have their ID cards to leave the building. Klinger’s motivation behind pursuing the position of Vice President was also to de-stigmatize mental health issues. “Regarding mental health, I would like to make Bronx Science a place where all students feel that they have the resources they need,” said Klinger ’21. Her initiatives focus on creating a safe environment for students so that they feel comfortable reaching out for help. She also wants to make sure that all students are educated about the importance of mental health by having therapists or psychiatrists conduct lessons in school. Klinger is excited to work with the other members of Cabinet to improve the understanding of mental health at Bronx Science.

Future S.O. Secretary Ahona Rana wants to showcase the unique and diverse aspects of the Bronx Science community. She wants to increase student attendance at athletic events by sending out school-wide text messages about upcoming games and championships. In addition, she wants to encourage our talent show to include more athletic performances, such as basketball or volleyball trickshots. Rana also wants to bring greater emphasis to Cultural Day by making it a bigger celebration. Her main focus as secretary will be to create a stronger sense of community within Bronx Science. “I want to be able to create a community where students can pass each other in the halls with smiles, regardless of whether [or not] they know each other,” said Rana. All of her goals are focused on increasing student appreciation and representation while bringing together the Bronx Science community.

Zoya Garg ’21, future Senior Council President, plans to make the Class of 2021’s senior year a memorable one. She created the acronym P.A.C.T. which stands for Picnic, Alumni, Celebrate and T-shirt. She plans to have a senior picnic in the courtyard, visits from alumni to answer crowdsourced questions about the college process, a social media page that would profile stories of seniors, and a T-shirt that seniors could wear and get signed by their peers. She is passionate and dedicated to giving seniors an enjoyable final year at Bronx Science. “I wanted to give back to my classmates who have taught me so much. I knew that the position of Senior Council President would allow me to help contribute to making senior year the send off my grade deserved,” said Garg.

Future JSLT member Alexa Carr ’22 wants to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to voice their concerns about school policies. Her goal is also to use her position to improve mental health at Bronx Science. She has specifically contacted the organizations ‘Mental Health First Aid’ and ‘Born This Way Foundation’ to hopefully provide the students of Bronx Science with informative lectures about mental health. “As Junior SLT, I aim to make sure that the voices and needs of the student body are always heard, and that their needs in school are always met,” said Carr. She looks forward to working with the school administration to improve the lives of students at Bronx Science.

All of our future S.O. leaders are passionate about affecting change at Bronx Science. A common theme among all of their platforms seems to be the importance of mental health and student representation. These leaders will work closely with the school administration to increase school spirit and create a stronger sense of community in Bronx Science. Their mental health initiatives promise to improve the lives of any students struggling with such issues. They look forward to making a difference in the Bronx Science community. 

All of our future S.O. leaders are passionate about affecting change at Bronx Science.