On Wednesday, May 1, 2019, Student Council campaign speeches took place. The structure of that particular school day was altered to accommodate these riveting presentations of campaign policies; particularly, periods were shortened, and the assembly was placed in between fifth and sixth periods.
There were four offices to be had: treasurer, secretary, vice president, and president.
The first speech came from Ms. Gemma Petrulla, the incumbent treasurer, who ran unopposed. Her speech was concise and convincing, detailing the strength and fit of her character for the job which she has held so well for the past year.
The second speech came from Mr. Yusuf Hashmi, who ran unopposed for the office of secretary. The backbone of his speech was a supposed evaluation from one of his elementary school teachers, who conveniently predicted that Mr. Hashmi would be well-suited for the job of high school class council treasurer. His speech was bolstered by his infectious smile and well-timed jokes.
The third office was vice president. This involved a race between two members of our very own staff: Mr. Daniel Purizhansky, our Sci-Tech editor; and Ms. Priya Pindiprolu, former East news editor. Mr. Purizhansky–also known by the informal nicknames Dave, Dan Shapiro, and Guad–was the first candidate to give a speech. He ran on the memorable campaign slogan, “DP for VP”. He presented his excellent qualifications in his speech, citing his past leadership experience and outstanding time management skills. His opponent, Ms. Pindiprolu, gave another stellar speech, outlining her vision of a student-centered student council. She exuded great confidence, presenting herself as a logical, motivated candidate.
There was also a two-way race for the office of president between Mr. Josh Weissert, the incumbent, and Mr. Patrick Frank, current treasurer of the class of 2021. Mr. Frank spoke first, delivering a rousing, energetic speech complete with numerous accents, aggrandized hand movements, and a quote from East’s very own Mr. Hurley. He ran on the campaign promise of an open door policy, where the ideas of any student would be heard. His lively rhetoric brought about many cheers, as well as laughs, from the crowd. Mr. Weissert’s speech also excited. He was met with loud applause upon taking the stage. Mr. Weissert delivered a convincing speech centered around his accomplishments in his current office over the past year; as the adage goes, “the best predictor of future success is past success.”
All candidates were worthy for office; yet, as is the nature of such events, only one can win. The outcome of the election, announced the morning of Friday, May 3, is as follows:
· Treasurer: Gemma Petrulla
· Secretary: Yusuf Hashmi
· Vice President: Daniel Purizhansky
· President: Patrick Frank
Treasurer-Elect Gemma Petrulla said of her victory, “I’m so excited to start next year with my new officers! Homecoming will be fantastic!” Purizhansky says, “I’m happy to win, but this is only the beginning. There’s a lot of work to be done, and it is important to take this job seriously.” Indeed, our sage Sci-Tech Editor is right on the money. With great power comes great responsibility, and it is almost certain that the student body will hold all of the officers accountable for their campaign promises.
The staff of the East Side News would like to personally extend our congratulations (and invitations to appear on The Bonfire) to each and every member of Williamsville East High School’s 2019-20 Student Council. We are sure that great, or in Ms. Petrulla’s words, “fantastic” things will be accomplished under their leadership. We expect nothing less.
