Ninth graders vie for spot in student leadership

Story update: Niah Sei and Zoie Calora won the election.

On Sept. 23, 2019, the class of 2023 heard speeches from candidate pairs running for ninth-grade representatives to the Catlin Gabel Student Association: Grace Mueller with Aanna Farhang and Zoie Calora with Niah Sei.

All candidates touched on their fears of high school and laid out their visions for decreasing stress and improving high school life.

Mueller, a new student to Catlin Gabel School, and Farhang, a long time Eagle, faced their class and addressed the upcoming four years. Their account of high school was mostly informed by the pair’s older siblings.

Mueller and Farhang went so far as to call high school, “the most stressful four years of your life.”

To mitigate the foretold stressful times, Farhang and Mueller suggested planning exciting dances that would put middle school dances to shame .

Calora and Sei’s speech followed in much the same vein.

Calora cited a high profile credential she had on her political resume: “Sixth grade MSSA (Middle School Student Association),” she joked.

Like Mueller and Farhang, Calora and Sei also have older siblings, both of whom are in the Upper School.

“Shout out to Lauren Mei and Kenya!” said Calora in her speech.

In fact, the pair’s siblings ran together for eighth grade MSSA presidents, a very similar position that Calora and Sei are running for now.

The class meeting ended with a reminder to vote and a rare compliment on the stewardship of the ninth grade lounge.

“Congratulations, the [ninth grade] lounge is officially the cleanest lounge in the Upper School right now!” Dean of Students Brandon Woods announced.

The ninth graders cheered and left for lunch.