Hello, once again, and here are the interviews for your 2014-2015 Vice President candidates: Izzy Haslam and Jeff Solomon. As you read their responses, keep in mind the duties of the Student Council Vice President, who must:

• Report to the President and Advisor weekly regarding individual and committee activity – must attend all Cabinet meetings, full Council meetings and respective committee meetings.

• Chair the Events Committee, which conceives and plans all student events, including Mr. Harriton.
• Fulfill the president’s duties in case of the president’s absence, illness, resignation, or removal from office.
• Work with the president in overseeing all committee activity.

Let us see if Izzy and Jeff have what it takes to be the Vice President.

Izzy Haslam

What do you intend to do when you get to office?

Well, I don’t really want to say too much about the specifics of my ideas before elections, because I’m saving that for my speech. However, I will tell you that it involves individual student recognition and awareness of our peers’ accomplishments, creating a greater school spirit and recognition for our classmates and us.

Why are you running for Student Council Office?

I’m running for office because I really do care about Harriton. I think it is such a great school that gives us so many opportunities. I want to add to those opportunities with my ideas for events and activities, and to make it as exciting as it can be. I think Student Council is a great club by giving the students a voice to what they want their school experience to be like. Having an officer position would give me the chance to make sure those ideas from myself, Student Council representatives, and all students at Harriton’s ideas are heard and followed through.

What do you think are shortcomings of previous officer teams and how do you intend on fixing them?

I don’t want to dwell on negative aspects from previous officers, because each year I think that the officers have done an incredible job, and added positive events and spirit to Harriton. If I become an officer, I will make sure that my fellow officers and I have great relationships, and know our responsibilities. I would hope to have great communication with each officer, and ensure that if any problem were to come up, it would be solved and not interfere with Student Council.

With the arrival of a new superintendent, do you plan on having increased communication between the superintendent’s office and the student body?

As far as I know, I don’t believe that Harriton’s Student Council has had much communication with the Superintendent. However, this is something that I would like to change, if I were to become the next Vice President. This is a great suggestion! I would reach out to the superintendent, and hopefully have a meeting with him once a month, to inform him of our progress and ideas, and to ask him for any suggestions. I think that having communication with the superintendent is very important, especially for an officer, because any issues or ideas will be discussed with the person who has the highest position in our school district.

Jeff Solomon

What do you intend to do when you are elected into office?

If elected as Vice President, I will strive to be the best possible representative of the student body. I will continue to promote and improve Harriton Student Council’s primary fundraising events, such as Quidditch and Mr. Harriton. I would like to have more Quidditch games per year and also intramural sports throughout all grades.

Why are you running for office?

I am running for Vice President because during my 3 years at Harriton, Student Council has held very few events for charity or for trying to raise school spirit, besides Mr. Harriton and, this year, Quidditch.  If elected, I intend to create more events for charity as well as to raise school spirit.

What activities are you in beside Student Council and how will that affect your ability to lead and direct the activities of Student Council?  

Outside of Student Council, I teach tennis to children of all ages at the Julian Krinsky School of Tennis.  Teaching small children every week has helped me learn how to manage people with different personalities, as well as think on my toes and create new games, a quality that every Vice President, the director of the Events Committee, should have.

How will you make Student Council more transparent to the student body?

I will make Student Council activities more transparent to the student body by allowing students not in Student Council to attend the meetings if they have any questions on what we are doing.

Once again, here are the interviews for your 2014-2015 Student Council Vice President candidates. Let us wish the candidates good luck on their campaigns.