After Drake High School’s shut down due to the coronavirus, the ASB elections were up in the air. There was some confusion about how the elections would occur. Would ASB wait to hold elections until the following school year, or would they continue with student campaigns and hold elections online? They ultimately decided to hold elections online from May 13-16, and as of today, May 19, the results are in. 

Next year’s ASB President is Ella Acker. ASB Vice President of Student Body is Sophia Calegari. ASB Vice President of Student Government is Roxanne Bostian. ASB Secretary is Josephine Kelly. ASB Treasurer is Jeremy Poster. Drake’s TUHSD Student Board Member is Anya Bodine-McCoy. The class of 2021 Presidents are Nick Parr and Landon Schopp. The class of 2022 President is Jonas Salk. 

Running unopposed were Sophia Calegari, Roxanne Bostian, Josephine Kelly, and Jeremy Poster. 

Two candidates ran for ASB President, Ella Acker and Hunter Nerviani. Drake’s Thinkers Club held an online debate between the two candidates. In the discussion, Acker advocated for a more cohesive Drake community with a stronger relationship between ASB, Peer Resource, SOAR, Avid, SeaDisc, and Comacad. By doing so, she believes that communication between the students and administration will improve, Drake will feel more inclusive, and will participate more in the community overall. Nerviani advocated changing the associated student body system, transforming the way we view student government in the long run. 

Among the class of 2021 presidential candidates were four juniors, Nick Parr, Landon Schopp, Meleah Silverstein, and Emma Murphy. Two candidates would be elected to serve as next year’s class of 2021 presidents. In her thirty-second campaign video, Silverstein guaranteed prom, a senior trip, and a real graduation if she were elected president. 

Murphy also promised similar senior events to Silverstein’s such as bonfires, the senior sunrise, movie nights, sporting events, and the senior trip in order to have a bonded senior class. As a whole, Murphy wanted to make the class of 2021’s last year of high school the best that it could be. 

In his campaign video, Schopp acknowledged the stress associated with senior year due to college applications. He advocated a relaxing yet fun senior year through puppies on campus and meditation and yoga classes. Schopp promised to have recent Drake graduates on campus to share their advice on the college application process. Given that one of the senior class presidents’ main responsibilities is to organize end of the year events, Schopp boasted his role as one of the mountain biking team captains. This year he had to organize multiple events for over a hundred people, so he understands how to manage large events. 

As public health and safety will be a priority when students return to school, Parr guaranteed hand sanitizer dispensers in all bathrooms, not just soap. Parr, along with a couple of other classmates, is in charge of Drake’s Pirate TV. He said that after receiving feedback from students that PTV is not representing all of Drake’s student body, his goal, as senior class president, is to represent and appeal to everyone. He hopes to achieve this goal by listening to any and all feedback from his classmates. 

Both Schopp and Parr feel extremely excited to be voted presidents of the class of 2021. They’re especially looking forward to taking advantage of the time students will have on Drake campus next year rather than the current online learning. 

The class of 2022 will have one class president, unlike the class of 2021. Three students, Jonas Salk, Max Gehm, and Finn Wayland, were candidates for junior class president. 

Salk took a creative approach to his campaign video with a question and answer format. If elected, Salk promised to create unity among all grades, not just juniors. His favorite idea for how to enact this is through, what he calls, game of the week. Some Drake sports teams, such as freshman girls’ basketball, do not receive as much attention as others. Salk’s goal is to have the stands of Drake’s gym crowded with fans at the freshman girls’ first basketball game.

Gehm stated that he would make a great junior class president if elected. His priorities include eliminating all spiders on campus bigger than a quarter, improving the water pressure on the campus water fountains, and increasing the number of posters in the hallway for information and entertainment purposes. 

Wayland’s zealous campaign declared that Drake students should feel at home on campus. He will work closely with the administration to ensure he meets the junior class’s needs. He guaranteed a ping-pong table in the student center and newer and more appetizing food options in the canteen as junior class president. 

“It’s an awesome feeling to be elected as the junior class president. I’m looking forward to publicizing sports that don’t get the love others do. I want every athlete to feel the support of their fellow classmates, and with that, we will be unifying the entire student body,” Salk said. 

The TUHSD board members include students from schools across the district. The student elected to represent Drake as their student board member must represent all of Drake High. 

Conor Lillevand introduced himself in his campaign video as a strong member of the community with his attendance of local schools and peer mentorship at White Hill Middle School. Outside of Marin County, Lillevand has taken leadership classes at Johns Hopkins University and has traveled to Africa as part of the Children for Change nonprofit organization. Lillevand assured that if he were elected as Drake’s TUHSD Student Board Member, he would work tirelessly to carry out the changes that the students want. 

Anya Bodine-McCoy believed that she would make a great student board member because of her public speaking skills in addition to her experience with addressing committees, school boards, councils, and even members of Congress. She is also engaged in the Drake community as a representative of student senate since her freshman year and a member of Peer Resource. Recently, Bodine-McCoy joined the site council, similar to that of a school board. She is passionate about change and believes that she can enact it as a member of the TUHSD board. 

Bodine-McCoy said,“I’m so excited to have this opportunity, and I’m grateful to the student body for electing me to this position. I think with all the issues regarding the budget cuts this year, the student voice on the board is more important than ever, and I can promise that I’ll do everything I can to continue to support the programs that make our school incredible.”