Being elected President of the United States is no small feat. Running to lead the most powerful country in the world puts candidates and their track records under the nation’s scrutiny. Candidates spend years and hundreds of millions of dollars to keep their presidential hopes alive, often abandoning their values to amass funds and votes.
Though an election of similar gravity, candidates running for Jesuit’s student body president never compromise their values and keep the student body’s best interest at the heart of their campaigns. The Roundup interviewed President/Vice President candidate pairs ahead of the 2020-2021 election.
Ticket One: Luis Osorio and Andrew Sherman
Luis Osorio ’21:
My experience at Jesuit has been a rollercoaster ride, yet the ride that has helped shape me into the person I am today. From an outsider’s perspective, one sees Jesuit as a respectable and disciplined school; however, it’s much more than the superficial interpretation many have. Jesuit is truly a loving family. Now, through my three years at Jesuit, I have been fortunate enough to serve as a member of the Student Council during my Freshman, my Sophomore, and the start of my Junior year. Within this timeframe, I have firsthand witnessed how the school operates and how a loving community is the single most important thing.
Currently, I serve on two service organizations, Interact and Key Club. Also, I’m currently involved in The Roundup as an Associate Editor, Spanish Honors Society, Ambassadors, Leadership Huddle, Kairos, Peru Sacred Valley, and I play soccer for the school. These formation activities and extracurriculars have molded my leadership skills and given me the necessary experiences in order to help and promote positive change, not only to those at Jesuit. My plans for next year are to continue the efforts of this year’s current student council; for example, I would make the minutes publicly available to the Student Body and bolstering our communication with Sage through the lunch committee. Finally, with the help of my partner, Andrew Sherman, we plan to bring new ideas to the table like solidifying that one extra dress-down day we all really desire, and ideas that suggest more activities which not only involve the students, but also get your favorite teachers participating as well. Who wouldn’t want to play dodgeball with Mr. Janicki or with Dr. Knize? Ultimately, being part of the Jesuit Student Council is not merely a title or an honor, but a commitment to serve the community and to be an example to the student body.
Andrew Sherman ’21:
I strongly believe Luis and I should be elected for the Presidential and the Vice Presidential positions in the Student Council as we are passionate, hard-working young men that want to give back to the school that has provided us with so much the past three years. Luis and I have been proven leaders, and we have demonstrated these leadership qualities within our actions inside the classroom and in the outside world. Additionally, from sports to clubs to service, we have served the community and can transfer those lessons learned into our roles as officers on the council. I, Andrew Sherman, am currently involved with the Jesuit soccer team, Jesuit Medical Society, Peru Sacred Valley, Ambassadors, PALS, Junior Retreat, Junior Kairos, and Random Acts of Kindness. Our active participation in such activities has enabled us to become companions with a variety of students at Jesuit.
For our campaign, we will mainly focus on the student as an individual. As Vice President, I will send out monthly emails to groups of Freshman, Sophomores, or Juniors in order to follow up with their year and ask if they have any suggestions for the council to consider. This will enable the Student Body to become more publicly aware of the Student Council, while simultaneously creating positive relationships between the leaders of the school and the underclassmen. In this, I want to enable the underclassmen the power to reach out to the leaders of the school with ease. With Luis, we plan to reasonably ensure the allocation of money to clubs and increase communication between all its members, as clubs are vital to growing the Jesuit community. As I have not been elected for the Student Council before, I will bring a fresh, energetic perspective to the team as I assist Luis and other council members in striving for Jesuit’s best potential. Ultimately, Luis and I will devote ourselves to being the face of Jesuit and to the development of ourselves towards the profile of the graduate in everything we do as we serve our fellow brothers around us.
Ticket Two: Graham Bowers and Camden Roy
Graham Bowers ’21:
Most schools across the nation give their students just enough to succeed in the future. Yet Jesuit is different in that it doesn’t just give us opportunities, but it strives to push us to our greatest potential. Our traditions, faith, and culture make us more open to growth, more open to serving others. That is exactly what I believe student council to be, an opportunity for students to provide input and make decisions in service of his school and community.
As a football player I understand how important communication and teamwork are in order for success. Student council should function as a single unit devoted to helping its fellow students and provide an inspirational work environment. As President of the Student Body, I would devote all my time and energy forging relationships with the faculty and making our ideas a reality. I served on student council freshman, sophomore, and junior years, and therefore will begin with a running start and implement change. During those three terms I helped organize dances, plan retreats and service projects, institute school policies, and was a voice for the student body. I know what it takes to make this school the place we envision it to be. l understand what it means to be a leader for your community and classmates and desire to help other students, provide an outlet for others, and find new inventive ideas to better our school.
Camden Roy ’21:
Jesuit is home to every single one of us, a community that instills values within every single student that goes much further than any other school. Working with the Student Council for the last three years, I have seen and worked with that same mindset and made decisions for the betterment of every single student not just as a student, but as a young man. I have several goals for the upcoming student council election such as increasing interaction with Ursuline. I think it is unhealthy for young men to not be around girls all day everyday, and I have very practical ways of getting this accomplished. First, once a month working with their Student Council, we would have mixed pep rallies with them in the place of a prayer service. Secondly, I think there should be another Ranger Day in the spring where Ursuline is invited and we celebrate mental health by playing games and making genuine human connection. In my time sitting on the council, I have accomplished many things. I worked on committees and helped get chocolate milk in the cafeteria, got quarter zip jackets legal, fought for letting students have facial hair, getting ESPN in Hughes Hall before school. Most importantly, I got dividers in the locker room bathroom when they were down. This saved a lot of extremely awkward moments, as well as increased the number of eligible urinals in the bathroom by two based on the rule that all males know and abide by. I have the experience and knowledge of what it takes to be Student Body Vice President and have gotten stuff done during my tenure as the class level of Student Council that has provided immediate change for the betterment of the student body.
Ticket Three: Jake Taylor and David Benitez
Jake Taylor ’21:
Oftentimes, the most beneficial thing to an organization, or in this case, the Jesuit student council is a new, slightly unconventional perspective that is brought by new members. This is why David and I see such a good future for the student body if we are elected. I have great experience with leadership skills that are well suited for the president position: I have been dedicated to a leadership role on the varsity football team since I was a sophomore, I am currently the Junior Leader of the Ignatian Service Corps, and I participate at mass as a Eucharistic Minister. Socially, I have competent interpersonal skills and am able to connect with others very easily, a skill that will allow me to listen to the desires of the students when administering change. I am certain this will aid myself in working behind motives that are truly wanted by the student body. I am also an exceptionally dedicated, motivated, and accountable person in all facets of life: academically, athletically, and spiritually. This is a skill that I will transfer to my passion of representing and creating the best version of Jesuit that conduces intellectual growth and spiritual growth along with creating a togetherness among the students. One way I will go about doing this is organizing more pep rallies for sports and other school-wide functions, endorsing attendance at sporting events or other extracurricular events such as band performances and debate tournaments. This will also open discussion to co-ed pep rallies with Jesuit and Ursuline, promoting solidarity among our own school along with a closer relationship to our sister-school.
David Benitez ’21:
“The task of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.” –John Buchan.
This quote describes exactly why Jake and I find ourselves suitable for the President and Vice President positions. We seek not to find a secret solution that makes everybody at Jesuit successful, but we seek to provide a necessary means to do so through our respective positions in student council. Since Sophomore year, I have been a part of the Varsity Track Team and part of the Ignatian Service Corps, which organizes every Jesuit service event, so I have plenty of experience with setting up service events and participating in an organization that works for a greater good which is what I will be doing in student council. In order to improve the Jesuit Community, I would propose having a prominent guest speaker once a month; each speaker would be an expert from a different field and these events would serve to give clarity to the student body on the direction that they want to take their life in after Jesuit. I am socially, intellectually, spiritually, and culturally competent. Socially, I have built relationships with students ranging from Freshmen to Seniors, which gives me the ability to listen to the entire student body on what needs to be improved. Lastly, as a candidate born in a foreign country (Mexico), I have experience in working in culturally diverse environments, which will help me lead a community like Jesuit.
Ticket Four: Zachary Freeman and Shane Hatzmann
Zachary Freeman ’21:
The past three years I have tried and ran for certain positions involving student council, but have come up short every time. This failure has only prompted me to improve myself and build such a character that fits the perfect mold of a class leader. I believe with this character and my many connections surrounding Jesuit I would be a great fit to lead next year’s student body to a successful year, ensuring we have the right opportunities to strive in the Jesuit environment. Currently, I am an executive ambassador, a leader of PALS, a service leader through the ISC service corps, a eucharistic minister, and play on the baseball team. I have demonstrated and gained the trust of my fellow classmates and faculty as a leader. As a non-elected leader, I have a very good understanding of student perspectives on everything Jesuit related and plan on using this knowledge to help improve the school in a way that benefits the students and teachers by making Jesuit a more comfortable place to grow and learn. One plan I have in mind would be a page on moodle dedicated to teaching how to do things like the rosary, confession, and daily masses for those who are not comfortable in expressing their faith in front of their peers. I consider myself a very good speaker and communicator that will help voice the opinions of the student body. I am also a “people-person” and would strive to have personal conversations with each student to show that we truly care about our brothers here.
Shane Hatzmann ’21:
Similar to my running mate, Zachary Freeman, I too have been unsuccessful in obtaining a leadership role in student council. This opportunity for growth and development has enabled me the chance to truly reflect upon the person I wish to become and how I can best improve myself in hopes to one day be able to represent something larger than myself, the Jesuit community. During this time I have strengthened many relationships within Jesuit that has allowed me to become the successful student that I am today. Currently, I am a member of PALS, a member of the Jesuit Multicultural Society, a member of Campus Ministry, an executive ambassador, and play on the varsity basketball team. Being a member of the basketball team has not only benefited me on the court, but also off the court where communication, listening skills, and trust are key to help continue the smooth path of any relationship. What makes Jesuit so special is that it is a place that allows individuals to pursue all interests regardless of how contrasting they may seem; Jesuit is a place of countless opportunities. One plan I would strive to enact if elected is the idea of having more school wide events where students are highly encouraged to interact with individuals they have never met before helping Jesuit truly become one of solidarity and community. In addition, I would like to further advertise the spiritual opportunities available during lunch periods to help Jesuit become a more spiritual community. I consider myself a devoted and talented person that will spend all my time and energy giving back to Jesuit through my example of leadership helping it reach its fullest potential.
Stay tuned to The Roundup for more coverage of Jesuit’s student council!
