By: Staff Writers Hannah Bi, Tanvi Deshmukh, Shuhan Jin & Trisha Parikh
ASB President Candidates
Isaac Chan
As a class officer since ninth grade, current Junior Class Vice President Isaac Chan has garnered experience in both the Treasurer and Vice President positions over the past three years. On top of this, from planning Homecoming and Multicultural Week to being one of the only juniors on the Leadership 2 (L2) Fundraising Committee, Chan plans to take advantage of his vast experience to make the 2024-25 school year a memorable one for all students.
What moment or experience from your time at MSJ motivated you to run for ASB President?
I don’t think it was a specific moment where I was inspired to run for President, it was more like I started considering it more and more every week.
What does the MSJ community mean to you, and how has that shaped your vision as the potential ASB President?
The MSJ community means a lot to me, especially during events like Homecoming or Multicultural Week where the whole school gets together. It has shaped my vision because the idea of community has driven the creation of many of my ideas to make the student population happier and more spirited.
If elected, what would some of your ideas and plans be to make the 2024-25 school year memorable?
If elected, one of the first things I want to do is create a polling system before and after important events to be given during Read Meets so that we can understand what the student population truly wants. In addition, I plan on introducing new events such as more sports games aside from Golden State Warriors basketball games, school events like a club-led night market, and Bell Tower Quad Christmas Tree Lightings. In addition, I would prioritize implementing solutions to make event lines shorter and more efficient like online tickets and Apple Pay for food fundraisers.
How will your past leadership experience aid you as ASB President?
Aside from organizing Prom and Homecoming, my experience as a class officer for Class of 2025 in the past three years has allowed me to implement changes and work hard to make our school experience better. For example, I was the only person who fought to poll students on issues that they care about, including prom venues and Homecoming merchandise. Speaking of Homecoming merchandise, I have shown my dedication to our class by spending hours drawing our class merchandise every single year. In addition to working as a class officer, I am part of the L2 Fundraising Committee, raising thousands of dollars in profit and introducing new vendors for more variety.
If your entire campaign was one sentence, what would it be?
Vote Isaac Chan, he’s your man!
Callie Yuan
After serving as the Class President for three years in a row, current Junior Class President Callie Yuan is prepared to lead MSJ with yet another year of memorable experiences for the student body. Along with being a current junior class officer, she is also a member of the L2 Videography Committee. With her vast amount of experience and long list of future ideas, Yuan is prepared to implement new plans to form strong bonds between MSJ’s students, teachers, and parents.
What moment or experience from your time at MSJ motivated you to run for ASB President?
As Class President for the past three years since freshman year, I have organized school-wide events like Homecoming, spirit weeks, and fundraisers. Seeing everyone excited, hyped up, and passionate while bonding over a school event like Homecoming, I feel extremely grateful and motivated when greeted by their smiles that my efforts and contributions as a leader (with the help of our amazing community) could make these events as memorable as possible.
What does the MSJ community mean to you, and how has that shaped your vision as the potential ASB President?
The MSJ community to me is a place where we can learn and grow to become the best versions of ourselves. While the high-pressure environment at our school often leads to degrees of competition, it is important to foster a supportive environment where we can help each other while striving to accomplish our goals. Our community is innovative and creative, which is why it is so vital for students to have a voice at MSJ. I am always open to new ideas or suggestions, and as ASB President, I will make sure the students’ voices are heard and ideas are made into a reality.
If elected, what would some of your ideas and plans be to make the 2024-25 school year memorable?
As ASB President, I plan to ensure communication and transparency across platforms, organize lively events, and make people’s ideas into a reality. More specifically, I will carry these goals out by implementing a centralized and synced calendar system to include all club meetings, fundraisers, and events. I also plan to release rolling feedback and suggestion forms so we can improve students’ experiences at events and activities. Since students may not know whom to ask or how to get their questions answered, I will implement a chatbot feature using AI to our MSJ ASB website — allowing people to get valuable knowledge! Overall, I aim to emphasize strong bonds across classes so we can all support each other to achieve our goals by organizing alumni panels, hosting L2 x MSJ Peer Resource mentorships, and making themed weeks more festive and involved for everyone.
How will your past leadership experience aid you as ASB President?
My experience being a class officer for more than six years and working as President for four years since middle school has allowed me to understand the ins and outs of our school while listening to students’ ideas and implementing them—whether that be planning Homecoming, fundraisers, or spirit weeks. I am also the Feature Editor for the Smoke Signal, MSJ Women in STEM’s Vice President, MSJ Writer’s Block’s Events Manager, and an MSJ LINK Leader. Through my leadership experience as well as being highly involved in our school in other clubs and activities, I am able to understand the students’ needs firsthand. I am determined to use my management capabilities, collaborative teamwork skills, and ambition to give everyone a fantastic and memorable school year.
If your entire campaign was one sentence, what would it be?
A: Callie’s call, leading one and all!
ASB Vice President Candidates
Aneesh Potnis
2024-25 ASB Vice President Candidate Junior Aneesh Potnis has gathered experience and leadership skills through his roles as the Co-Captain of MSJ Ishaara, co-leader of Homecoming and Multicultural Bollywood Airbands, and member of the L2 Fundraising Committee. He plans to focus his efforts on ensuring that council runs smoothly and MSJ remains a safe and happy environment.
What moment or experience from your time at MSJ motivated you to run for ASB Vice President?
My time spent this year at council definitely motivated me to run for ASB Vice President. As you know, [hosting] council is a main role of the ASB Vice President every week. I really liked the environment there, and I think I would do a good job with council considering that I know the role [well] and the ins and outs of the job.
What does the MSJ community mean to you, and how has that shaped your vision as the potential ASB Vice President?
As a part of L2, I have gotten to know a lot of people around campus and every single person is unique and fun. As the ASB Vice President, my first mission is to make sure that everyone is happy … and content with their time [here].
If elected, what would some of your ideas and plans be to make the 2024-25 school year memorable?
A: MSJ has a lot of clubs, and I would like to say that they are all valuable, but a lot are not putting in the amount [of effort needed]. I want to make a more strict strike system by increasing consequences for [clubs whose officers] do not show up to council, hold fundraisers, or anything along those lines. On top of that, I want to increase locker organization by giving presentations beforehand and making sure the process is streamlined. Lastly, I want to make council a healthier environment by making sure that people participating are representatives of their true club instead of random people coming in to sabotage a club presentation.
How will your past leadership experience aid you as ASB Vice President?
At MSJ, I have partaken in a lot of leadership roles. I led Junior Bollywood Airband with over 70 students, am the Co-Captain of the Bollywood fusion team MSJ Ishaara, and am a part of the L2 Fundraising Committee, where I have gotten to learn about expenditures and requisitions, which is part of the vice president’s role.
If your entire campaign was one sentence, what would it be?
If you’re looking for a successful and fun year next year, just remember, VP: Vote Potnis.
Mei Wan
As the Mission Possible Parent & Faculty Association’s (MPPFA) Class of 2025 Representative and member of the L2 Student Teacher Alumni Relations (STAR) Committee, 2024-25 ASB Vice President Candidate Junior Mei Wan hopes to use her passion and abilities in leadership to help other students. In the upcoming school year, she plans to boost club membership by spreading awareness about resources and summarizing the club formation process to be more accessible and understandable.
What moment or experience from your time at MSJ motivated you to run for ASB Vice President?
Watching the ASB Officers run assemblies was a turning point for me, [as] I could see how much effort they put into making it the best it could possibly be. I was always passionate about leadership in sports and extracurriculars, but that was what really pushed me over the edge.
What does the MSJ community mean to you, and how has that shaped your vision as the potential ASB Vice President?
To me, the MSJ community is a group of people struggling to do their best. I have seen how intimidating the club formation process is, and I would love the opportunity to help other students with their leadership [skills].
If elected, what would some of your ideas and plans be to make the 2024-25 school year memorable?
My ideas include boosting club membership and spreading awareness by posting club summaries on the MSJ Instagram and sending informational emails at the beginning of the year. I would send out an email explaining what www.msjasb.org is because I think it is a really vital resource for everyone. I also plan to create videos that walk students through club formation, expenditures, and requisition processes because they are very complicated. Right now, we have a 50-page document on how to start a club, which is a very important document but can be summarized in a video. I am also going to give leaders at club council more say in ASB decisions with feedback forms after major events. Getting more input allows school leaders to further improve school events.
How will your past leadership experience aid you as ASB Vice President?
In L2’s STAR committee, I have become familiar with expenditure and requisition processes by passing over $50,000 worth of them. The ASB Vice President needs to be very familiar with this process to pass checks at council every week. Through being the MPPFA’s Class of 2025 Representative and in sports, I have learned how to speak for large groups of people. Being the Girls Junior Varsity Water Polo Co-Captain my sophomore year really taught me how to work with other people, which you need to do as a leader in any situation. Furthermore, planning events for L2 STAR and water polo gives me the experience I need to lead school events as ASB Vice President.
If your entire campaign was one sentence, what would it be?
Vote for Mei to have a Vice President that is not only qualified, but also cares extremely deeply about the MSJ community.
ASB Secretary Candidates
Sarah Liang
As the current Junior Class Secretary, 2024-25 ASB Secretary Candidate Junior Sarah Liang plans to use her experience from her current officer position, working with the 2023-24 ASB officers, and collaborating with multiple L2 committees to improve communication for the MSJ community. As Secretary, Liang aims to increase awareness about school-wide organizations by spotlight clubs on episodes of MSJ TV, as well as adding an online message board to notify students about school-related announcements.
What moment or experience from your time at MSJ motivated you to run for ASB Secretary?
This past year as Junior Class Secretary, I have worked to connect students both within our class and with the school. While planning events such as Homecoming and Prom, I have continuously created opportunities for students to provide their opinions, whether it was through Instagram polls or Google Forms. As ASB Secretary, I hope to improve communication and transparency not only for Class of 2025 but the entire student body as well.
What does the MSJ community mean to you, and how has that shaped your vision as the potential ASB Secretary?
Being in the L2 Community Committee, I have not only had the chance to work with MSJ students but also with the community outside of MSJ through events such as canned food drives with ABODE Services and blood drives with Stanford Blood Center. Aside from L2, schoolwide events such as Homecoming and Spring Fling are also some of my favorite memories at MSJ. Through these experiences, I have realized that the connections within a community are extremely important to create a safe and comforting environment. I hope my experience can help me create better events to benefit the community both within and outside of our school.
If elected, what would some of your ideas and plans be to make the 2024-25 school year memorable?
One thing the ASB Secretary is in charge of is MSJ TV. I hope to add more fun segments and a new segment featuring clubs. Additionally, students will be able to use the forums page I plan to add to the MSJ ASB website to learn about club and schoolwide announcements.
How will your past leadership experience aid you as ASB Secretary?
My past leadership experiences have allowed me to gain valuable experience in teamwork, time management, and working to get things done. I have worked closely with other class officers, the current ASB Officers, and L2 committees this past year, making me familiar with a lot around the school.
If your entire campaign was one sentence, what would it be?
Voting Sarah Liang for ASB Secretary is voting for experience, creativity, and an amazing school year.
Amy Zhang
2024-25 ASB Secretary Candidate Junior Amy Zhang has garnered valuable leadership experience over the years from heading a foreign internship program, holding band leadership positions for several years, among other roles. As Secretary, Zhang plans to increase communication efficiency for the MSJ community by using calendars and other platforms to keep students connected and updated.
What moment or experience from your time at MSJ motivated you to run for ASB Secretary?
It’s really hard for me to pinpoint an exact moment or experience from my time at MSJ that motivated me to run for ASB. A large part of the reason for why I am running is to have more voices in council and for more of the student body to be represented. As a part of many school groups ranging from Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), Model United Nations (MUN), to Girls Cross Country, I have met so many people that have a lot of ideas for ways that the school can improve that just haven’t been heard. As ASB Secretary, I would hope to be able to show a new side, a broader side of the school.
What does the MSJ community mean to you, and how has that shaped your vision as the potential ASB Secretary?
The MSJ community to me in the least cheesiest way is not just a school but also the place where I spend most of my waking hours. We come to school for almost seven hours, and the friends and classmates we interact with throughout the day are some of the very many people that influence who we are. I share this same experience with hundreds, even maybe thousands of individuals, and as ASB Secretary, there is so much potential in uniting everyone. Enriching the high school experiences of everyone in our community is the first step of a richer life after.
If elected, what would some of your ideas and plans be to make the 2024-25 school year memorable?
In the 2024-25 school year, I have many plans that would make it more memorable. The job of a ASB Secretary is to make matters more organized, and to do that, I would like to implement an interactive calendar that would combine important dates for clubs, events, and fundraisers. A united platform for information would make it more accessible for all students to find what they are looking for quickly and easily. Other plans of mine include implementing more student and teacher feedback and interviews for the better representation of the entire school.
How will your past leadership experience aid you as ASB Secretary?
In my opinion, leadership comes from the skills you learn from being a leader and not the collected titles you earn. I could say that I was the Captain of the Nepal Internship Research Program or that I have been in band leadership for over six years, but what I think my actual experiences include being able to work under extreme pressure and still being able to deliver results, cooperate with my fellow peers in a wide variety of activities from writing research papers or school projects, and the enthusiasm and passion I have for genuinely representing the student body.
If your entire campaign was one sentence, what would it be?
A dream of representing the entire school, not just the selected few because the job of ASB is to bring everyone together in the school and to represent everyone, not just our friends.
ASB Treasurer Candidates
Sarah Hu
As the current Junior Class Treasurer and a member of the L2 Student Store Committee, 2024-25 ASB Treasurer Candidate Junior Sarah Hu plans to improve school event experiences for the student body. Hu has ample experience in supervising financials, managing over $21,000 across her multiple fund managing positions. As Treasurer, Hu aims to digitize transaction processes and encourage student voices.
What moment or experience from your time at MSJ motivated you to run for ASB Treasurer?
I remember one time I was watching my friends try and figure out everything they had paid to the school for Homecoming and when they would get it back. It had been months and they were worried about not being allowed to spend money on class materials for deco next year. It was then that I thought if I could become Class Treasurer and then ASB Treasurer, I could make the process much more convenient and less confusing for everyone.
What does the MSJ community mean to you, and how has that shaped your vision as the potential ASB Treasurer?
The MSJ community means everything to me. I think it is truly a very unique environment to grow up in, and it has given me the opportunities I would not be able to receive anywhere else. If I could be ASB Treasurer, I would want to improve anything I can around campus so that students can enjoy their time at MSJ. For example, I know it can be stressful here, so if I can cut down the lines and costs to Homecoming Extravaganza (HCX) with better pricing and software, I can make HCX more accessible to everyone and allow more people to enjoy their times at HCX for longer.
If elected, what would some of your ideas and plans be to make the 2024-25 school year memorable?
I would definitely try to, as I said, make school event lines much shorter. I do not want anyone to wait in the rain for HCX ever again. I would also like to increase student voices in the student store product line and in school merchandise. I want students to enjoy the snacks they want the most conveniently during school and would also want everyone to be proud of the school merchandise we sell. My last plan is to digitize the reimbursement process. I know for many people including my friends and myself, the reimbursement process can seem extremely daunting at first because it is all forms and sheets. But I want to make sure people have an easy time with this process and build more trust between the students and the school.
How will your past leadership experience aid you as ASB Treasurer?
For the last three years at MSJ, I have done everything I can to experience hands on, what it would be like to be ASB Treasurer. I am [also] the Smoke Signal Business Manager and MSJ Interact’s Treasurer, managing over $21,000 combined. This amount of funds in itself is good practice to be ASB Treasurer. In one of these roles, I am the current Class of 2025 Treasurer. This means that I already have experience in creating school merchandise, selling, fundraising, taking care of transactions, reimbursing students, and more, which again, are all the jobs that the ASB Treasurer is responsible for doing. Lastly, I am currently part of L2 and run the Student Store. Running the Student Store is one of the most important responsibilities of the ASB Treasurer, so the experience I have this year will allow me to skip the steep learning curve in managing the student store next year, and solely work on improving it and meeting the students’ needs.
If your entire campaign was one sentence, what would it be?
Vote for experience, someone who is familiar with the school system, the person who can turn your ideas into a reality, vote for Sarah Hu.
Maven Lam
2024-25 ASB Treasurer Candidate Junior Maven Lam hopes to bring efficiency and increase communication to school-wide events to improve the experience for the MSJ community. With his experience from a multitude of extracurriculars such as Boy Scouts of America, dance, and competitive sports, Lam hopes to use his responsibility, leadership, and time-management skills to bring a positive impact to the student body.
What moment or experience from your time at MSJ motivated you to run for ASB Treasurer?
Whenever I preorder tickets [for Homecoming], I have seen the ginormous lines and how expensive they were. And I kind of felt outraged by that. So I want to change that and give an impact in a sense.
What does the MSJ community mean to you, and how has that shaped your vision as the potential ASB Treasurer?
From my perspective, the MSJ community is just really unique. Out of all the other schools out there, every person is different. And in a sense, I want to change or affect their future in a positive way.
If elected, what would some of your ideas and plans be to make the 2024-25 school year memorable?
I have a lot of plans. But to sum it down, basically, I am going to create a website. I have coding skills, so I will create a website to make it easier for people to order things online instead of in person. So waste less of their time. I will make the line shorter and basically make everything cheaper.
How will your past leadership experience aid you as ASB Treasurer?
I have done a lot of things. I have been in Boy Scouts of America, I have danced, I have done sports, I have traveled around the world, and all these experiences allow me to adapt quickly, be on time, and basically be a better person for myself. And it will aid me as ASB Treasurer, just so that I can make things better, on time, more efficiently, and the best possible way.
If your entire campaign was one sentence, what would it be?
A: Let’s make the dream into reality.
ASB Activities Coordinator Candidates
Arnav Lingannagari
After being head of the Peer Resource Events Committee and being a part of L2’s Activities Committee (A-Team), ASB Activities Coordinator Candidate Junior Arnav Lingannagari hopes to use a position in leadership to bring new types of activities to the school and reduce the stress in the school environment. In the upcoming school year, he plans to introduce the school to events such as an exotic petting zoo, follow in the footsteps of his mentor, current ASB Activities Coordinator Senior Hagen Qian, and ensure that people know that it is okay to be different and forge your own path.
What moment or experience from your time at MSJ motivated you to run for ASB Activities Coordinator?
A: I would say the moment that really inspired me was when I got selected to be the only junior in L2 A-Team. I was basically mentored by [Qian], and I basically shadowed him for the past year, and I learned how to be an ASB Activities Coordinator and ever since I got elected, I knew I would like to follow in his footsteps and become the next ASB Activities Coordinator.
What does the MSJ community mean to you, and how has that shaped your vision as the potential ASB Activities Coordinator?
The MSJ vision has always been something that is very like, well, the environment here in general has been very stressful. I think being the ASB Activities Coordinator could definitely help reduce stress. I think people enjoy the activities that we host at lunch and I think participating in those activities, especially if they are fun, I think it could definitely help people reduce their stress and just basically distract themselves from the other stuff that goes on here.
If elected, what would some of your ideas and plans be to make the 2024-25 school year memorable?
One thing that I have really been wanting to do is to get an exotic petting zoo. It would include stuff like baboons, pythons, and [more]. I really wanted that to happen this year, but unfortunately, I do not think it will happen. If I do become activities coordinator, that would be one of the first activities that I do, [as] I think that is really cool. I think a lot of people would enjoy that as well.
How will your past leadership experience aid you as ASB Activities Coordinator?
[In terms of] my past leadership experience, I have been coaching basketball and have been the head of the Peer Resource Events Committee. I think those two things really aid me in the sense that I have led people before, and as the ASB Activities Coordinator, I will definitely be leading not just the Class of 2025 but also the school as a whole.
If your entire campaign was one sentence, what would it be?
I do not know if this counts as a sentence but I will just say “be different.” I think my entire campaign has definitely been something that’s unorthodox, even my campaign picture. It was definitely different from other people’s. So I think it is okay to take a different path. Everyone has their own path.
Siva Sathappan
With an active interest in leadership and further engaging the MSJ community in activities and events, ASB Activities Coordinator Candidate Junior Siva Sathappan hopes to use a position in ASB to implement new technologies in our school and keep students away from the screens during activities. In the upcoming school year, he plans to introduce MSJ to updated sound equipment, bring Apple Pay to the Student Store, and give upperclassmen a more prominent voice in the student body.
What moment or experience from your time at MSJ motivated you to run for ASB Activities Coordinator?
Well I think ever since freshman year, I have always wanted to be ASB Activities Coordinator specifically, but throughout the year, especially during assemblies is when I see a lot of people on their phones and [not] participating or engaging in activities. There are amazing activities, but as students in this generation, we usually go on our phones instead. One of my motives is to make activities more engaging than a phone. People are still going to be on their phones. If I have that goal in mind, I think we can make engaging activities or more engaging activities than currently listed.
What does the MSJ community mean to you, and how has that shaped your vision as the potential ASB Activities Coordinator?
We have a diverse community and we all have different talents among us, like some of us who might be great at tests, some of us just have great athletic talents. Each of us are just different in a way, so you can’t have exactly activities focused on one group specifically, you can have activities like a talent something, so engaging or showcasing your talent. We are all diverse, we are just too shy to bring [our] talents forward.
If elected, what would some of your ideas and plans be to make the 2024-25 school year memorable?
Well, I have four main goals. The first one regards our technology: it is from a decade ago at least, so especially Apple Pay has been something that many class officers have been asking for but I have not seen implemented. I definitely want to [add this] for HCX tickets in the Student Store, so we can always implement that. And I think I can join the ASB Treasurer in implementing it. Fun fact: I have been named English Teacher Elizabeth Waller’s Tech Support. I really want to include better music equipment and microphones. Now, I do not want to spend $1,000 on new equipment, since we have great equipment right now. I obviously have to go check if [our current technology] is outdated. Maybe we have to renew it, but I think we can definitely do some technological advancements just to make our activities more fun. And then the third one: many underclassmen’s voices are not heard at all. Usually the only time I have seen L2 come up to us and ask us for anything is for fundraisers, and that is because we are giving donations. I want to involve the student body, especially underclassmen, who go completely unheard.
How will your past leadership experience aid you as ASB Activities Coordinator?
A: Well, when it comes to class leadership, when I go into something, I want to do it full-fledged, meaning I have to give a lot of my time because I kind of want to carry them out throughout. When I take a job, I like to completely engage everybody. So if we are doing an assembly play or something, we hook the reader into it like a paragraph. We have to carry it out. We cannot interrupt the processes in between. So that is what I have learned from my past leadership experiences.
If your entire campaign was one sentence, what would it be?
Well, if you have seen my poster, maybe the phrase “goofy.” I know it is completely irrelevant, but it is basically what I am and what my campaign is for the school year. It is a fun job if you have fun at the moment. It is like when you smile, we see another person smile, we automatically get that feeling of happiness.
