Officers Levi Moss, Ewan Lister, Emma Thoron, Parker Landsman, and Henry Moe / Photographer: Chris Waage
It is commonly known throughout the OHS student body that every spring, the process begins in which potential candidates campaign, gather signatures, and deliver speeches in an attempt to be voted into the role of executive ASB officer. With five positions available, the job can be appealing for a variety of reasons. Some may be drawn to the power that comes with ruling approximately one fifth of the student body; as the officer to student ratio is about 1:24, this would mean control over approximately 24 individuals (although it is probably more accurate to say that five students are exercising shared power over the entire school). Others may be attracted to the possibly improved college application that may result from such a leadership position. Others – most, probably – actually want to improve the OHS environment and make a difference.
The annual process may seem repetitive, yet there are always variations. While the majority of a five-person officer crew often returns for a subsequent term, as was the case last spring, other times, an almost entirely fresh group rises to power, bringing change, for better or for worse. Following the recent executive ASB officer election, graduating seniors McCabe Webb, Maggie Toombs, Gabe Smith, and Journey Howden of the previous batch of officers will relinquish the position. Rising senior Levi Moss, who joined the group last spring as a junior, will rejoin the group for his second term, along with the other four of the five uncontested candidates: rising seniors Parker Landsman, Henry Moe, and Emma Thoron, and rising junior Ewan Lister.
Only five candidates ran for the position; all were granted the position regardless of skill, intentions, or any other factor, but the new officers appear to be promising, with noble intentions for the coming year. Moss, as the experienced officer of the group, hopes to assist his fellow officers in their new role as well as build upon his first term. “I want to accomplish more than I did last year,” he said. Evoking a positive response from the crowd during his speech, coming junior Lister exclaimed the school’s significance and the fact that it was time for “couches in the locker rooms.” Thoron, promising to help foster a safe, equal environment for students, explained that she wanted individuals to be able to reach out and help each other. In an honest proclamation, Moe described the “emotionally draining” aspect of school, asserting that he wants to make school a more tolerable place. He ended his speech with the pun that he would make the school “Moe better.” Landsman plans to contribute to a combined effort to spread spirit and positivity, believing that the officers’ alternate approaches are different, yet stem from the same underlying intentions. “The difference between each of us is how we will achieve the overarching goal of making our school a place that encourages enthusiasm and school spirit in both learning in the classroom and participating in extracurricular activities,” she said during her speech. “I look forward to making a positive difference at our school.”