As the Dublin High student elections are just around the corner, the zestful candidates running for ASB, School Site Council, and Class Offices are actively promoting their campaigns on Instagram. With such a diverse group of promising candidates running this year, it is vital that Gaels vote for who they think would make excellent leaders, as they represent the student body and their opinions.

The voting period is from September 23-24, Wednesday and Thursday, and ballots will be sent out through email. The Dublin Shield interviewed several candidates and asked why they decided to run and what they wanted to accomplish if they win. Feel free to use CTRL+F to search for any candidate whom you’d like to read a statement from! 

ASB

The ASB or Associated Student Body is composed of junior and senior that are in charge of overseeing general student activities throughout the school. This year, Edward Padnos/Caede McMahon are running for ASB President and Vice President. Sidney Tran and Hanah Hwang are running for ASB Secretary. Megan Nguyen, and Carah Matheny are running for ASB Treasurer. 

“Caede and I have both been apart of the leadership program since, well, since there was a school leadership program for us to join! We participated in Fallon’s leadership team and then the Freshman Leadership Program as well as the Elected Board/0 period leadership. We’ve learned an excellent amount of information on how to lead, and we loved every single second of it. We especially loved hosting events that include everyone! What better position is there for that!? As ASB President and Vice-President, we look forward to taking on the challenge of leading Dublin High through such an unpredictable year! It truly is an open canvas for us all. In order to hype up our school’s activities, new forms of advertisements are being created right now, and will likely last a lifetime at DHS. New measures will be taken to hear the voices of our classmates. New positions are being created under the supervision of our new Activities Director to do all of that and even more! Plans are already in motion to bring back the events that were thought to be lost due to virtual learning. The only other way to describe our plans is as follows… like a phoenix, these revamped ideas will glow brighter than ever before. Get excited, because we cannot do this without you. You will hear from us very soon.” -Edward Padnos, ‘21

“I have decided to run for ASB Secretary and School Site Council because, before I leave DHS, I want to support my fellow classmates, who are full of potential as a group of Gaels! Through my transparency and easily accessible communication, I want to be our school’s advocate so that everyone’s voices can be heard at student body board meetings (asb sec) and staff meetings (school site) with any thoughts or concerns. I am passionate for our school and to grow together! GAELS, WE work together and NOT alone! It is an honor for me to run this year, and can’t wait for the amazing year with everyone!” -Hanah Hwang, 21’

“Hi! My name is Megan Nguyen and I am running to be your next ASB treasurer! I wanted to run for this position because I am passionate about our community. I like to know that we are doing the best job we can to make everyone feel included and welcome at Dublin High. This year I hope to partner with local businesses to fundraise for our school’s activities while growing our own community. Local businesses make Dublin a warming environment to live in so it is necessary to fight for them. I love living in a place that is so diverse in both its culture and its food. Yum!” -Megan Nguyen, ‘21

“I chose to run for ASB Treasurer this year because I felt that having an ASB position would give me the opportunity to create a more inclusive, accepting environment at Dublin High and the chance to make sure the entire Student Body feels supported, connected, and at home in the Dublin High Community, especially in our current distance learning circumstance! If elected, I hope to be a voice for all DHS students, and represent the junior class as well as the underclassmen, in an otherwise all senior ASB team. I hope to create a more unified Dublin High through fun, accessible events, and through the representation and inclusion of all student voices!!” -Carah Mattheny, ‘22

Gael Force Commissioners

The Gael Force Commissioners are a crucial part in school spirit and bonding. Especially during these times of online schooling, the Gael Force Commissioners’ goals of connecting the student body with the school is more important than ever. This year, the candidates running for Gael Force Commissioner are Richard Chung/Hailey Guinto, Cara Cahambing/Kailey Matta, and Amelia Liao/Marissa Shiu. 

“Richard and I are running this year because we want to create a spirited and inclusive environment for everyone. We still want to bring spirit and unity towards our whole school even during these times. we think it is important to have some type of social interaction but virtually of course! one thing we want to focus on this school year is the band and drama department. We do think these departments should receive more recognition for all the hard work they put it. We want to make more virtual bonding more as a whole rather than separated in classes. and if we were to come back in person at school, we want to improve more on our tailgates! such as offering more food options towards vegetarians and vegans, we want everyone to enjoy and have fun at these events!” -Hailey Guinto, ‘22

“This year we wanted to run as Gael Force Commissioners because since freshman year, it was always exciting to watch all of the seniors. To be totally honest, we were sad about this year not being the same. although, Mr. D inspired us, giving us hope this year and it’s possibilities! We want to do the same for everyone else who might be feeling the same way about the upcoming school year. This year, Kailey and I are both in dubtalk. Kailey is the host and Cara is the director/producer. It’ll be a safe, fun environment that’ll be broadcasted monthly. We both believe that it’ll uplift many students and look at this year with a positive outlook. Another way is our involvement with different classes, because kailey is a junior and cara is a senior. On top of that, we are heavily involved with the freshman class because kailey is an fmp mentor and cara has siblings in the class of 2024. The freshmen are the future of Dublin High and we want to ensure that their first year is as important as our seniors last year! we want to make it a great year for everyone :)” -Cara Cahambing ‘22

School Site Council

The School Site Council works closely with PFSO (Parent Faculty Student Organization), teachers, and parents to make important decisions and represents students in meetings with school staff. The students running this year are Sidney Tran, Celine Chan, Aanika Bedi, Mannat Dhot, Aleena Imran, Nimisha Shivaprasad, Parnika Chockalingam, Sarah Min, Hanah Hwang, and Akansha Sallakonda.

“Hi my name is Sidney Tran and I’m running for School Site Council! I served last year on the School Site Council so I am rerunning again this year. The reason why I wanted to run was because I was interested in how Dublin High worked behind the scenes and how decisions were made, and I still want to continue educating myself about school policies. What I want to achieve this year is to improve the communication between SSC and the student body, to gain as much input to what can improve the school as possible. This can be done by creating an Instagram where voices can be heard and updates about council meetings can be publicized. I want to bring to light what students want, and things that are important in my eyes, such as COVID-19 safety, parent engagement, online learning discipline, mental health, diversity, and student achievement. I hope you can re-elect me again!” -Sidney Tran, ‘21

“Hi! My name is Aanika Bedi and I am a junior running for the position of school site council representative. Honestly, I went to the election meeting just out of curiosity, but when leadership began talking about the school site council, I knew it was the position for me. I’ve always loved public speaking and have experience in leadership roles such as being co-president of HOSA and on Dublin’s Mayors Council. These experiences only further show my qualities and capabilities to hold this position. I also really want to run because I want to make sure that Dublin hears the student’s voice. As an underrepresented minority myself, I know how it feels to not have a voice, and I want to make sure I can give that opportunity to all students here at Dublin High. For more information on my campaign, check out @aanika4schoolsite on instagram!” -Aanika Bedi, ‘22

“I wanted to run this year because I believe I can step up and be an open minded leader in this time of adversity. Through my extensive involvement at Dublin High I have noticed that many of the voices in my community expressing pressing issues have been ignored. In a leadership position my main goal would be to give a platform to underrepresented students. Additionally I was to run because these positions are ones I am genuinely passionate about. I LOVE math, it is something I do with ease, so managing funds in accordance to events sounds like a fun job. I also have lots of ideas for safe fundraisers and events.” -Aleena Imran ‘21

“I’m Nimisha, and I’m a junior this year running for school site council this year. This year is one like no other, and we all know it. I’ve always had the urge to represent our student body, but this year in particular really compelled me to run and make a change. Given the current social climate, emphasizing my core values of diversity, equity, and authenticity is crucial in order to make our school a better place. This year, I plan to focus on a variety of issues with a strong emphasis on diversity and especially mental health – creating programs throughout the year where people can get educated and feel a sense of community and support. Mental health is crucial, and especially at a time like right now in the situation we’re in, I’ll make it a priority to emphasize this so that every student feels comfortable, secure, and content.’’ -Nimisha Shivaprasad ‘22

Class of 2021

For the class of 2021, Dilsher Singh/Mikayla Trujillo and Rishika Thorat/Prisha Agarwal are running for class president/vice President. Marissa Shiu and Jessica Wang are running for secretary, Amelia Liao and Aleena Imran are running for treasurer.

“If elected President and Vice President we hope to have a positive impact on the entire Senior class. Whether this be through organizing online events, or socially distanced in person events, or by interacting one on one with our classmates. After being elected it is our hope to bring the Senior class together for their final school year.”- Dilsher Singh and Mikayla Trujillo

“I’m running to be senior class secretary because I absolutely LOVE being involved with school events, fundraisers, homecoming, and so much more. Looking back at my senior year, I want to know in my heart that I left DHS with everything I’ve got. Especially this being my last year, I want to make the absolute most of it. Making people feel included/validated and a part of a family is also on the top of my priorities. With all the chaos amongst the world, compassion, kindness, and love is what everybody really needs. I feel like my purpose as a student of Dublin High is to spread those aspects and unite our class one last time before we graduate, whether that is virtually or not. I want to create bonds, friendships, and memories with everyone! If I were elected, I would do everything in my power to host bonding events, socially distanced activities, fundraisers, and much more. By running for senior class secretary, I’m really hoping I can uplift the spirits of students who are feeling down about our current situation and to spread positivity amongst our entire class!” -Marissa Shiu

“Hi, my name is Jessica Wang and I’m running to be the senior class secretary this year! I wanted to run because I’m really interested in helping my grade become more unified since there are so many people and there are some people that others don’t even know. As a secretary, I feel like I would have the opportunity to make everyone closer together before we all go our separate ways next year. Also, I really want to have the ability to help plan senior events, virtually and in person when that comes, while also being safe.” -Jessica Wang

“I am excited to be running for school site council because as I mentioned, I really want to be a representative for our student body and make this year one for which everyone is excited!

I can help the school by bringing in a unique perspective on all issues. I am very organized and can manage my time extremely well so I am very capable of taking on large tasks. I have tons of experience in community involvement and know how to get community input to make sure everyone is represented. I want to create an environment in which everyone feels heard and the elected officials are working towards the goals of the student body.” -Aleena Imran

Class of 2022

In the class of 2022, Trisha Shangle/Suvan Shangle, Pallak Thapar/Richard Chung, Jasleen Mahal/Emma He, Angie Sethi/Kalisa Mojica, Kailey Matta/Lauren Strah, Bradley Mehr/Jake Rodriguez, and Eamon Fakhri/Mansour Dadgar are running for class president/vice president! Lauren Dang and Rishita Dwivedi are running for treasurer, and Susu Bhaduri is running for secretary! The competition is quite fierce for this class!

“This year the two of us hope to make a fantastic junior year for our classmates by executing a memorable prom, hosting bondings, and having lots of activities. We want to make the most out of the year in our four-year journey, regardless of the circumstances :)” -Trisha Shangle and Suvan Shangle 

“We’re running to make this school year the best and most positive we can despite the current conditions. We believe that it’s especially needed in these hard times for our community to come together and work together to make it easier on all of us as a class and a school! We want to incorporate more exciting virtual class bondings and host fun activities that bring us all together. We also want to make sure students maintain a healthy balance between work and home life which is why we want to support the use of advisory classes on an otherwise free wednesdays. we hope that being in office will give us the opportunity to achieve much more for our class as well :)” -Pallak Thapar 

“I am running for vice president and gael force commissioner this year! If elected, I will ensure that even with times like this, we will still have a fun and spirited year! I am so excited to also bring more attention to all the other wonderful programs at dublin high like band and drama! Both productions are extremely successful and should get the credit they deserve! Also this year, I plan on wearing the Brady costume to more school events so that our wonderful school mascot can be seen more this year! I plan on doing cool TikTok dances to entertain the crowd and get everyone hyped!” -Richard Chung 

“During these uncertain times, we understand that virtual learning can be a challenge academically as well as socially. When we are elected, one of our key focuses will be to maintain an engaging social environment that will resemble an in-person social environment as closely as possible. Not only do we want to enhance your high school experience virtually, but if and when we go back to school in person, we hope to elevate your traditional school experience as well. We aim to achieve this by listening to your feedback and implementing it into every executive decision we make. As the people’s people, we are dedicated to making this school year as enjoyable and memorable for you as possible. We see you. We hear you. We are you. We are the people’s people.”-Jasleen Mahal and Emma He

“I wanted to run to help out with fundraising and organizing fun and creative events that lots of people would enjoy for our class. I know that fundraising is a huge part of being in the student body so I wanted to help improve on that area. I also wanted to help with organizing homecoming events and unifying our class more.” -Bradley Mehr

“Bradley and I have made it our mission to raise as many thousands of dollars as it takes to fund our junior and senior year activities, and we will be bringing the homecoming spirit back to campus.” -Jake Rodriguez

“Hey Gaels! This year I’m running to be YOUR junior class treasurer. With elections coming up, I just wanted to talk about why I’m running and some of the things I plan to do if I win. I am running this year because I want to give back to the Dublin High School community. I have always been a part of helping make an event successful by participating in Homecoming and fundraisers and now I want to help organize these same events in hopes of success. From an observer’s point of view, I have always noticed the successes but also the improvements necessary to make events more enjoyable, so I want to use these experiences for the school’s benefit. This year, I plan to help plan prom and other virtual (and hopefully in-school) events. As a treasurer, I want to make sure that everything is well within budget, but the funds are also going to the right places. In order for our large events to be successful, we want to make sure that every dollar in our budget is going toward something efficient.” -Rishita Dwivedi

“1) I wanted to run this year because, especially in these weird times, students feel disconnected. not only from their friends, but from school. We didn’t realize how much we value our class and connection to DHS until now, and I want to help bring a sense of normalcy. Also, it’s junior year, which means prom! If it’s possible to have a prom this year, I’d love to be able to be part of the planning and make it the best it could possibly be.”

“2) Personally, I love leadership. I’ve been in the class for the past 4 years and I’m in it this year as well. So not only do I bring passion, I bring experience. I’ve already been class secretary every year and this would be my third year. I love our class and I love being able to have part in bringing us together and giving us the high school experience we want and deserve!” -Susu Bhaduri 

Class of 2023

For the Sophomore class, Dylan Wang/Leland Leung, Akansha Sallakonda/Parnika Chockalingam, and Lauren Kang/Rachel Johnson are running for class president/vice president! The competition is very fierce for the treasurer position, with 7 candidates, who are Elizabeth Koh, Mannat Dhot, Seth Kwan, Pranavi Gollanapalli, Justine Thai, Advait Jagannathan, and Arusha Ganeriwal. Shreeya Sawant, Rohan Dudhoria, Grace Lim, Sarah Min, Anish Kataria, and Samuel Wu.

“We wanted to run because we want to make high school more memorable by creating more fun fundraisers, bonding events, and hoco events like float build, skit, and area build. Because we love dressing up for spirit days, we also hope to be able to contribute to planning those.” -Dylan Wang and Leland Leung 

“As people who have held leadership positions in the past, we are empathetic, approachable, and adaptable; regardless of social distancing, we want to create a bond within our class even through social distancing. As a representative of the Class of 2023, we will help you plan for the future, encourage more activism in our school, and work with you to fundraise for future events, like prom. The job of a president and vice president is not to act as “bosses,” but empower students to make a difference. This isn’t about us; this is about YOU. Our goal is to listen to YOU and see what changes you would like to make. We believe in working with our peers in order to make high school a safe haven and a place where everyone can thrive. We promise to to listen to what you believe in and to be there for you.” -Akansha Sallakonda and Parnika Chockalingam

“Hey guys, we are Lauren and Rachel and we’re running to be your Sophomore President and Vice President this school year! We are running because we want to make sure all of your voices are heard, and we have some fun new ideas for this school year. Despite us learning through Zoom calls we want to make sure this school year is as fun and engaging as possible. We also want to represent/support all of you through everything we do this school year!” -Lauren Kang and Rachel Johnson 

“I want to run in order to become more involved, and also so that I can help other get involved, too! I know many people who wish they were more active in high school, and I don’t want us to have the same regrets. We only get to go through high school once, and we only have one sophomore, year, and I know I would do my best to make it one to remember!In terms of what I would do, I’m all about incorporating student feedback to let people know that we want them to be involved and that we value their opinions. This largely involves catering to a wider range of students, so that even people who aren’t inclined towards more social events or people who have different interests will get a chance to connect with each other. I would also like to be an officer that people will appreciate, and that anyone would be able to come talk to me or voice their concerns.” -Elizabeth Koh

“I am running because I believe I can help bring positive change to our school and be a leader during these unique times. I have past leadership experience which I will apply to my new role. As treasurer, I want to start raising funds for an amazing senior ball! And as school site rep I want to develop an easy system for students to give feedback on our new online learning system.” -Mannat Dhot

“I’m running for treasurer and if I get elected for the position I hope to create a welcoming, stress free environment at Dublin High knowing that many people are stressed and nervous when they enter high school. I know I was. I also want to be able to fulfill the needs and suggestions of my fellow DHS students and I hope to use those suggestions to create fun and entertaining events and fundraisers for students.” -Seth Kwan

“I wanna run well thought out fundraisers that make good profits.Good profits lead to a better prom. The entire job of a treasurer is to make money for events and with my experience I can 110% guarantee that I can do that. Some of my past leadership roles were CJSF President, GFR Build Club Secretary, and Science Olympiad Engineering Director. This year, I am the Build Club Secretary and Speech and Debate Club Secretary. But these roles aren’t just titles. In CJSF, my team and I broke a fundraising record at Fallon Middle School by raising almost 5,000 pounds of food for the Alameda County Food Bank. Last summer, I worked with the Lions Club to provide notebooks, pencils, reading materials, and food to 70+ children in a rural Indian orphanage. And this year, during Covid-19, a group of friends and I raised 300+ cards to give as gratitude toward essential hospital workers.Our class needs a Treasurer willing to work hard to raise money for an amazing prom, and not only do I have the extensive knowledge of past successful fundraisers, but I am incredibly passionate about our school. Especially during social distancing, I’ve truly realized how much I miss seeing friends and classmates daily, and how there are so many memories we are missing out on as a class. As Treasurer, I will make it my utmost priority to raise the funds necessary to create events that our class will enjoy and never forget. Remember: Vote Pranavi for Treasury to create incredible memories!” -Pranavi Gollanapalli

“WHATS UP GAELS! I’m Justine Thai and the reason why I’m running for sophomore treasurer is because I want to help create amazing memories for the class of 2023 and plan the most fun bonding events ever!! With my skills I will raise the money we need with super cool fundraisers, and I will ALWAYS listen to what you guys want, making sure each and every one of your voices are heard. My goal is to make our sophomore year an unforgettable experience and build a bond with all of you!! Thanks for your support!! And make sure to vote Justine Thai for sophomore treasurer!! GO GAELS!!” -Justine Thai

“I want to run for treasurer because I don’t want anyone to miss out on life long memories because they didn’t want to attend any events. My main priority will be thinking of fun events that make up for the loss of our dances and football games, and of course fundraising enough money to create these events in the first place. Some ideas I had were hosting online concerts or online escape rooms, and any other ideas suggested by the class of ‘23, which I hope will be the same amount of fun then if we were to attend these events in person. For fundraising I would look for sponsorships with small food businesses because food is likely the common denominator of us all and who doesn’t love snacks. Thanks for reading and I hope you vote advait for your treasurer”! -Advait Jagannathan

“Hey Gaels! I’m Arushi Ganeriwal, and I’m running for Sophomore Treasurer. Why? Well, I want to help YOU make this year the best it can be. Distance learning is hard, and being away from our friends is worse, but as treasurer, I will plan many fun events and fundraisers to help build our community. If elected, I will do everything I can to help ensure that when we finally do return to normalcy, we will have the funds to provide a truly amazing experience for our class. Even through our virtual reality, I believe there are ways for us to truly connect (more than just to the wifi), and one of my goals as treasurer will be to ensure that we bond as a class more than ever. Thanks, and remember to stay fly Dublin High!” -Arusha Ganeriwal

“I am running for secretary this year because I want to contribute to making this year enjoyable for everyone in our class, represent our class in the best way possible, and bring more positivity to the school year! If I win the election I will strive to ensure that everyone’s ideas receive equal representation, address important issues, encourage diversity, and come up with innovative events to make this school year as enjoyable and exciting as possible. I will also provide support for new programs and clubs that will benefit our students emotionally, academically, and socially. Something especially important I would like to contribute to is making Dublin High a more inclusive place where everyone feels comfortable enough to be themselves! I am aware that online school has not been the greatest experience and has been extremely stressful for many of us but I hope to be able to make this school year more gratifying for our class. Thank you for reading and I hope you consider voting Shreeya for your Class of 2023 secretary!” -Shreeya Sawant

“As class secretary I strive to make a creative way to have activities through distance learning. Especially during coronavirus, everyone is completely stressed out so I plan to host activities that will replace things like homecoming that we can’t have this year!” -Rohan Dudhoria

“I am running for sophomore class secretary because I know how pricey junior and senior events can be, and I want these events to become memories that we will never forget. I also have many ideas of how to help our class bond even though we can’t physically be together. If I am elected to be the sophomore class secretary then I will do all in my power to make sure that distance learning will not get in the way of our sophomore year.” -Grace Lim 

“I’m not like the other candidates because I’m not from Fallon or Wells. Instead, I’m from Canada, which helps me bring a fresh perspective and opinion. Besides, we all know Canadians are superior. 

I have been a leader my entire life. In fourth grade, I was going around school with speeches advocating for make-a-wish. Currently, I am the Historian for Key Club (the largest student led organization in the world),the director of social media for outspoken, and in the cheer and DECA teams. 

Lastly, as secretary/school council member I will act from my own experience to advocate equality in all aspects, celebrate diversity with multicultural days, increase the bond between students during distance learning with a large student chat/advice room, and help school clubs receive the recognition they need. 

You can find more about me @voteminforthewin on Instagram! Slide into my DM’s for a surprise!” -Sarah Min

“Hey everyone! I’m Anish Kataria, and I’m running for sophomore class secretary. Personally, I am an experienced leader who has had many positions in the past, and I hope to use my experience to bring realistic plans to help students. Specifically, I aim to restore the lost spirit and events from before quarantine. This would include things like virtual contests, creative spirit days, game days, and organizing funding for individual clubs along with others. The main priority is to listen to students and what they want- you can trust me to always voice student opinions and to never make decisions myself. Thanks, and vote Anish 2 Achieve!” -Anish Kataria

Class of 2024

Although the freshmen did not have a normal high school start, that isn’t stopping them from giving it their all! The competition is even higher with a whopping 18 candidates! Avant Narella/Diya Madhavan, Alena Dinh/Alec Chiang, Imaad Adeel/Pranav Palagummi, Tanvi Dinaharan/Varrshini Ramachandran, Dia Chakraborty/Summer Lane, Dunham Fakhri/Erin Lewis, Jhayden Bryant/Jessica Handley, Tharun Selvakumar and Anay Shukla, Genevieve Burgess/Alexandra Nicola are all running for the president/vice president position! Carissa Tran, Julia Pelham, and Youmei Li are running for secretary, and Jeia So, Ellen Glaser, Natalie Budiman, Jacob Siauw, Aishwarya (Leela) Subramanian, and Elias Qazi are running for treasurer!

“Just like Cinderella was the right fit for her shoe, Nerella and Madhavan are the right fit for DHS too! Hey Gaels! We’re Avani Nerella and Diya Madhavan, and we’re running for YOUR freshman class president and vice president. School may be virtual, elections may be virtual, but our commitment is real. We will make you remember this year, NOT for corona, NOT for quarantine, but for a PHENOMENAL freshman year! Wondering why you should vote for us? Well, we are dedicated, detail-oriented, responsible, and trustworthy candidates! By voting for us, you will be voting to create an AMAZING freshman year, with fundraisers and events that students WANT to go to. We want to INCLUDE the entire class of 24’, and represent YOUR opinions in OUR decisions! But, what makes us qualified? We have a combined 3+ years of speech and debate experience, and are CONFIDENT and OUTSPOKEN individuals and make a great team.” -Avani Narella and Diya Madhavan

“We are running for freshmen president and vice president because we want to be able to help our class have a stronger voice. freshmen are often times ignored because they’re new and therefore are thought to have no good ideas. This however is absolutely wrong, and we want to ensure the class of ‘24 has a strong foundation to start from. Some things that we would do once elected are to immediately begin to brainstorm ideas for fundraisers and running it by the asb and school. We would work with the treasurer and secretary to make new ideas on how to improve our class and how to create new experiences for our class. we want to make this year memorable and the best that it can be, despite the ongoing epidemic.” -Alena Dinh and Alec Chiang 

“We are running because we want to change the way freshmen voice their ideas and opinions to the adults that have authority at school. We want to lay the foundations of a system at school where the many students can directly try to make change and actually have a chance. We hope to achieve anything that our fellow freshmen want, such as events and ideas that could be done during covid.” -Imaad Adeel and Pranav Palagummi 

“We want to increase unity and create one big family that are actively involved with school spirit, even with virtual learning. We hope to hold fun virtual fundraisers so if we go back to school, we have funds for school-wide events! Finally, we want everyone to feel safe and accepted. We both know what it is like to not have your opinions valued, so we want everyone to have a voice. We also want to have mental health resources because school can cause large amounts of stress and we want to help cope with that. We want the student body’s voice through our choices. We are running because we want to help represent the school and the students. Due to Covid-19, we want to make sure everyone’s voices are heard because this year is different and school can be hard at home. We are running because we want to be involved with the school. By being involved with school, we can help plan fun virtual events and get students excited about school, even with Covid-19.” -Dunya Fakhri and Erin Lewis

“This year the team of Genevieve and Alexandra are running for president and vice president because we want to be involved in our school as much as possible especially during these times. Making a comfortable and safe environment for the student body is our top priority. With the platform of president and vice president we would spread awareness about on going problems that teens face today for example,mental health issues. Being freshman we feel starting off on the right foot by being apart of the Dublin High student council will build spirit and a sense of class community. Creating unity within the freshman class of 2024 is an accomplishment we want to achieve this year. We want to make sure that even the most quiet of voices are heard, so that our first year at Dublin High is enjoyed by everyone. Remember very vote counts!” -Genevieve Burgess and Alexandra Nicola 

“I’m running because I believe that with the role of secretary, one of the most important things is you have to have a voice. i know most people have so many clever and fun ideas to make this school year amazing, but it can be scary to step up sometimes. I want to express those ideas (and of course mine as well) to the school to make this year one of the best!! What I hope to accomplish is that this school year will be much more interactive and exciting, since because of the pandemic we are in currently it is really stressful and I want to create a more fun and friendly environment!!” -Carissa Tran

“I’m running because I was super involved in student leadership and was a class officer in middle school and really enjoyed it so I wanted to get involved at Dublin High! I want to make sure everyone is involved and represented and if I win I want to work to bring the class together as much as possible with social distancing of course, with things like drive in movies or virtual zoom activities like the kahoot i’m currently helping plan!” -Julia Pelham

“Some reasons why I’m running for secretary are that I like to bring change and have fresh ideas, I enjoy planning events, I’m outgoing, so I love communication with others, and already enjoy the job as assistant secretary for youth euclid organization. If I get the position, I’d make sure that the student body has the opportunity to input their opinions, release checks & minutes to the student body after every meeting for maximum transparency, implement class social media pages to create a closer knit community and to inform others easily of important messages, teach out to local businesses for sponsorships to get money, and possibly organize online spirit days as something fun to help motivate or energize students during these unprecedented times.” -Youmei Li

“I’m Jeia So and I chose to run for treasurer this year because I believe that my skill set and experience allow me to offer so much to our class. As the treasurer’s job goes far beyond their official duties, they should be versatile, cooperative, and creative! My goal as treasurer, and more broadly as a class officer, would be to make sure all students get an equal chance to succeed and are comfortable in this unusual school year. Not only would I guarantee strategic budgeting and accounting, but I’d also work towards making this school year the best it can be 🙂 #SoIsTheWayToGo” -Jeia So

“I decided to run because I care about my class and I want to make sure that even though we are stuck at home that we all still have a great time. I found when I was working at the coffee shop, or my summer job, I had so much fun handling money, but it’s not just the money but the outcome. The happy people with a smile on their face, and being excited. I want to make sure we have plenty of money so the freshman class will have a fun time. I plan to come up with fundraisers that are exciting and fun, and keep everyone involved . I plan to do my best to make sure that our class ends up having a smile on their face, and having a great time.” -Ellen Glaser

“Hey guys! I’m Aishwarya Leela! I’m running for freshman treasurer of DHS !If I were freshman treasurer of DHS, I would work towards many projects to adapt to the new online platform we have such as drive-in movies, online gaming tournament fundraisers, and peer advisory forums! Drive-in movies are very affordable and safe during the pandemic. The gaming tournament fundraisers are a fun way to have fun online and a great way to fundraise. Peer advisory forums are perfect for younger students to receive advice from older students on an online platform! I’ve had a lot of experience with leadership in the past. I was the student representative in the Student Advisory Council for Dublin Unified School District in middle school. I worked under the student representative of Dublin High School and learned a lot about communication and leadership.” -Aishwarya (Leela) Subramanian 

To find out more about the candidates, Gaels can go to the elections page at: http://tinyurl.com/dhselection! Remember to cast your vote and stay safe!

*Some candidates unfortunately were unable to provide a quote, but if you are interested in learning more about them, you can go to the website linked above! Remember to keep social distancing!