The Smoke Signal

By: Jaynelle Gao

Smoke Signal: Why did you want to be involved in leadership?

Dennis Lee: I applied for Leadership 2 because as a freshman, I really looked up to everyone in the class and after every event I would think, “I really want to get to know that person” and I feel like they did a lot for me.

Nihar Parikh: When I was in eighth grade, I saw the class of ’09-’10 and they were kind of immortalized because of the effect they had on the student body. I felt like I would like to have the same effect on the student body as they had and have the work that I do to make an impact on a lot of people.

SS: What made you want to be ASB Vice President?

DL: I actually didn’t know that I wanted to become ASB VP right away. For me, I wanted to be something different at the beginning of the year; I’ve always wanted to be Activities Coordinator actually. But after being in Leadership 2 this year, I’ve started to see a whole different view of what really goes on. Being in the same class as everyone else and seeing what they actually do, I realized that the responsibilities of Vice President really fit me. I’ve been an officer of a club for three years and I feel like I can really take that experience and use it and apply it not only to my own club but also the rest of the clubs on campus and all the future clubs. I feel like it’s because I have that experience that I changed my decision to run for VP instead.

NP: Since freshman year, I have always wanted to be an ASB officer. I’ve loved working as a class officer but I like the fact that as an ASB officer, you have more responsibilities and your actions are specifically directed more towards school functions. I really like how much of an influence the vice president has on the student body and I felt that because of the stuff I’ve done in the past, I would be able to execute my position in a more streamlined and effective manner. Especially since being ASB VP has distinct roles like managing clubs and managing lockers, I feel like I could have a very direct influence on student affairs.

SS: Why should we vote for you? What would you do for our school?

DL: Like Nihar, I think experience is really important and with the really important VP responsibility throughout the whole school, I feel like my experience as a club officer for three years will really benefit me. On top of that, the club that I’m an officer of has really given me the chance to work with not only my club officers and my student body, but also with other clubs from other schools. That experience will definitely help me and what I gain from it will really help the student body. I really feel like my experience is hands-on experience and it ties into the job directly, which is why I am suitable for this position.

NP: There are three reasons why I’m suitable for this position. First, I’ve had experience as a class officer for three years.  I’ve also been in journalism for two years and Peer Resource. Right now, I’m also doing my Boy Scout project at MSJ so I’ve been pretty tied to MSJ for the past three years and that has really set me up for a position like ASB VP where you have to be really dedicated to the school and keep the school’s best interest in mind. The second reason is that I have the general personality and mindset involved for this position. I’m generally approachable and easy-going which is going to help me working in a tier-management system where you have people you have to report to and people who have to report to you. Also, you have to deal with the rest of the student body and I feel that these personality traits are really going to help me. Finally, I feel that I understand the responsibilities for ASB VP. I’ve had the experience of managing a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. That’s really going to help me prepare for this kind of position where I know how I have to get things done and done well. If not, it’s going to negatively affect the student body.