Addie Bracher '25 and Mia Groeninger '25
This year’s juniors have seen it all. Coming from one year stolen by COVID and another adjusting to life post-COVID, they have many fresh ideas and perspectives when it comes to bringing back the spirit of this place. The winners will also be tasked with integrating the new head of school, Alex Lockett, into the Cate community. Through a campaign fair outside Booth Commons and countless assembly announcements, each of the six prospective presidential duos made their mark on the students. Here is a deep dive into each candidate and their plans for the 2023-2024 school year.
Senate veterans Caroline Keohane ‘24 and Thomas Paige ‘24 were prepared to jump into the roles of president and vice president if elected. Both undoubtedly attributed their greatest strengths to Senate experience and working well together. Having been through three different administrations (and attending Senate meetings just for fun), Caroline was inspired to run as she saw a great deal of inefficiencies. Thomas, though reluctant at first, was convinced that “Caroline would be the best president.” Their platform aimed to address inefficiencies in Senate and improve specific aspects of residential life. In terms of res life, these candidates wanted to work on the food in the dining hall, S-weeks, and “cultivating a good energy.” Overall, these two were all about being approachable and having a presence on campus. When asked about anticipated obstacles, Caroline discussed executing the things they hoped to accomplish, and Thomas was confident that they would have no problems advocating on behalf of the student body.
Abby Oke ‘24 and Tyler Martinez ‘24 had the goal of improving student-faculty and student-student relationships through class meetings and bonding events. For student-student relationships, they wanted to focus especially on the integration of new people into the community. As for student-faculty relationships, they acknowledged that they were already remarkable but that there is always room for improvement. “There are no opportunities for me to get to know the bio teacher that I don’t have or someone who coaches another sport,” Tyler said. He stressed the importance of separating teachers from their jobs in order to get to know them on a more personal level. Lastly, Abby and Tyler want to get to know and form genuine connections with other members of the Cate community outside of their campaign. Abby wants to be as approachable as possible. She maintained, “You might know me as president or as a candidate, but you might know me even through dance and through lacrosse as well.” They encouraged everyone to come to them with any questions, concerns, or simply a conversation starter.
Muhsin Abdul-Hakim ‘24 and Noor Harwell ‘24 wanted to positively change a community that has positively impacted their own lives. Running on the pillars of communication and inclusion, they strove to foster a more open, kinder, and well connected community. Their ideas included more face-to-face interactions and a bulletin board for current news in the dining hall. In terms of inclusion, they wanted to have more inclusion rep town halls and increase support from faculty for identity-based clubs in the hopes that people will feel more welcome and safe in the community. In order to hold them accountable, they hoped to have scheduled “fireside chats” where the student body could ask questions or voice opinions. When asked what sets them apart from other candidates, Noor responded with, “It’s the way we’ve been going about things. I think we’re not very flashy people, but I’d love to sit down and have deep one-on-ones with people.” Muhsin believes that being a quiet leader can be both a challenge and an advantage. It put the candidates in a unique position and left them to grapple with what others might think of a reserved president.
Having been a senator since freshman year, Shannon Murray ‘24 knows what it takes to be a leader. She and Shawn Cordeiro ‘24 set out to better the community using the ideas of communication, connection, transition, and reorganization. Communication involved creating a better relationship between senate, the faculty, and the student body. Shannon and Shawn wanted to push MOD sign-in back to 8:00 p.m. on the weekends and create a bike check-in/ check-out system at Pizza Lawn. They hoped to use weekly meetings with the new head of school, Ms. Lockett, as a way to make her transition to Cate as smooth as possible. In terms of reorganization, Shannon and Shawn did not want to change the systems in place but improve them by making expectations for members of senate and representatives more straightforward. As a veteran senator, Shannon acknowledged how sometimes one can feel frustrated by what feels like a lack of action or follow-through with ideas. No matter what happens, the candidates are committed to giving back to the community in any way they can.
Candidates Ada Hansen ‘24 and Clyde Kye ‘24 come from very different backgrounds but joined together to advocate on behalf of the student body. “This school has been something where I’ve had numerous happy memories, and I just want to continue that.” Ada has been a member of the Cate community before she could even say “Servons,” which has led to her desire to take on a leadership role and sustain that great energy she felt growing up. Clyde was fortunate to have grown up traveling and appreciates how “uniquely invested” Ada is in this community; he believes that the balance of day student and international boarder would allow the two to cater to a diverse group of people and be open to a wide range of perspectives. Their campaign mainly focused on transparent communication, a seamless transition to the new head of school, and an emphasis on student generated ideas. Clyde and Ada’s goal was to make next year what the student body would like it to be and act as “middlemen” between the students and faculty. Several of their main points that they gleaned from meeting with their peers were digitized permission slips, snacks in Booth, and more fun activities on weekends. There was no doubt that if these two were elected, the student body would know what’s happening on campus at all times.
Everybody roots for the underdogs, right? Andy Carranza ‘24 and Adrian Ordonez ‘24 made a statement at an assembly one morning after premiering their election trailer. “Adrian and I are not stellar students. We’re not perfect, but that’s why we want to run. We want people to know you don’t have to be top of your class, you don’t have to be from different friend groups, you don’t have to run with someone you don’t like, and most of all you don’t have to hold yourself to such standards. If you're passionate about something, you should reach for that something with love and compassion,” said Carranza at the debate. These two put in countless hours of work and effort in a limited time to create a detailed campaign that aims at reviving what is often called “the spirit of this place.” They are not trying to come in and change school policies, but rather focus on the sense of community through improving the quality of daily life at Cate. Their campaign points include a “Ram of the Week” system which would allow students, faculty, and staff to be seen and celebrated. They want to turn assemblies back into a sacred space and make the transition for freshmen easier and more fun. Both artists, Carranza and Ordonez noticed the lack of recognition artists at Cate receive and want to focus on showcasing student art. Lastly, through “Lockett’s Hour," they want to ease Alex Lockett into the community through weekly meetings. In the short time they have had to prepare, hosting events like Adrian’s Kickback and a Ramvocation have gotten students invested and enthusiastic for what this duo will bring if elected. Ordonez shared his struggle with belonging and hoped that as a presidential team, they could help all people feel like they have a place at Cate. “Regardless of the outcome, we want to be a symbol for those who have been down and who have been written off. It doesn’t take a magnificent track record or impressive background to be a leader. To be a leader it takes passion, the ability to overcome, and most of all purpose. We will not settle for another lackluster year,” said Ordonez.
On a sunny Thursday morning, the Chapel erupted with applause as Andy Carranza and Adrian Ordonez were named the next student body president and vice president. A standing ovation met the two juniors as they embraced in shock. Students filed out to congratulate them and show their support. It is moments like these at Cate where there is a tangible sense of community and “spirit of this place.” Each set of candidates did a wonderful job, but these two are ready to step up and lead the school next year. Carranza Ordonez 23-24 #AgainstAllOdds, Congratulations!
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