The Freshman campaign speeches were a blur of puns, meme references, and promises to make 2019 the best class ever. Just in case you haven’t cast your vote yet and can’t remember the name of the person whose ideas blew you away, here are summaries of every candidate’s platform. To see full platforms, click on the candidate’s name in the voting screen on Ion.

Ethan Phillips

As the class of 2019’s council president, I will fight for the good of our class. I will fight for more social outings such as fundraisers at Five Guy’s and “class bash”s because a class that bonds together stands together in tough times. I will fight for an end to stigma against mental illness so that students affected can receive the support they need. And in order to promote wellness in our class, I will fight for a decrease in stress through better communication between students and administration. But the most important thing to remember is Don’t Give Up The Ship.

Rithvik Gundlapalli

TJ freshmen have always seemed to have a distinct bubble around them, especially for the first couple of months of the school year. But I believe freshmen can do a lot for our school. My leadership as class president will help freshmen realize that they have a voice that can make a change. Though we may not have as much power as the upper classmen, we can always exceed the limitations placed on us by the typical stereotypes about freshmen. I will encourage freshmen to involve themselves in the decisions the class council makes for the benefit of the class.

Andrew Kim

As president, I will advocate immensely against the school boards warnings to take away our eighth periods as they threatened to do so earlier this year through activities like letter drives. I will push for freshmen lockers or at least an area to put all of our heavy items into as well as an initiative to help out our amazing custodial staff here at TJ. I will call for more teachers to post more on blackboard, especially homework, as we all know the questions we have on it at 1:00 in the morning. Lastly, I will propose for more de-stealing periods throughout the school year to get rid of all the angst we have against bio tests. I believe that with your vote, I can serve as the best Class of 2019 president TJ has ever seen.

Beza Girma

I would like to focus on mental awareness because I dealt with depression for a major part of my education years. I want to stress to everyone that grades do not define a person or the knowledge they understand. I want to be there for the Class of 2019, and show them that the best thing to do for themselves is to love the talents and blessings bestowed on them. By taking care of mindset, one can lead an easier and happier life, rather than one filled with stress. I feel like I am the most qualified to raise awareness because I was depressed since my first grade year until the beginning of my eighth grade year. When I finally changed my mindset on life, I realized that putting myself down wasn’t what I wanted to spend my time with. How any person sees themselves can change their entire life.

Alex Liu

I will positively impact the school by promoting a sense of community. By that, I mean that not only will I ensure a safe and secure for the TJ community to run, I will also encourage student involvement. This way, I can make sure that everyone at least has a chance or a say for the class of 2019 of what he or she can expect without being rejected by other students. I see the role of my class in this upcoming year to be not just another class (or a freshmen class), but rather the one that will bring significant change to many key aspects of TJ in general, even though we may be the least experienced out of all of the classes.

Pari Parajuli

As former President of the National Junior Honor Society, member of the Leadership Team in Model UN, and most recently captain of the Freshman TJ volleyball team, I consistently have leadership and teamwork experience under my belt. With these skills, I also have ideas about the betterment of the TJ community. Emphasizing the importance of maintaining the respectful environment around the staff, guests, and students, especially as the final years of construction approaches is crucial. Mental health awareness is another issue that I will work towards. I believe with my background and budding ideas, I can effectively and positively impact the school by representing and implementing the ideas of the Class of 2019.

Amrit Gorle

I am the most qualified to be the president of the class of 2019 because I have taken many leadership roles in the activities I have participated in such as TSA. I was the secretary of the TSA chapter in my middle school. With experience like this, I will be able to set up many activities and charities. I would like to promote student grown ideas about helping the community or a charity. Students will then be able to hold a club or meetings to plan for the event. This ability to delegate that I have will make improving the school a much more efficient process.

Aaraj Vij

My vision for the class of 2019 is of a class which successfully plans, and implements one of the best Freshmen LockOut’s in TJ’s time. A class which promotes community in a competitive environment not just by raising awareness, but by demonstrating it. I would respond with the vision of a class which exemplified the spirit of TJ- a goal which can only be achieved by the class, with the support of the Council. As president, I will strive to provide the support and organization necessary to accomplish these goals, as well as those set by the class. I will strive to make this vision a reality. In addition to SCA and FroshComm experience, my leadership and problem solving experience is derived from TSA, Future Problem Solving, and debate. Additional communication experience is derived from the Communications Merit Badge. I am a Boy Scout and can tie several knots, both literal and figurative- a sign of good diplomacy. (Knot tying defined as forming a bond as opposed to marriage).

MiJin Cho

When the stress is at its highest and classes seem impossible, “coming to school to learn” doesn’t seem as bright as it may sound. I plan to provide a positive, optimistic leadership that empathizes with these circumstances. As the former captain and co-founder of debate club at Rocky Run MS, I understand that communication between the students and the faculty and school is key in forming a solution to any problem. I plan to take a stand for the people through the implementation of fair school-wide and homework committee policies. I can represent our class because I emphasize with, know, understand, and am the people. Just as how students need short break between their study for some relaxation, I plan to create these “breaks” for the school through a field trip to a fun destination (i.e. Busch Gardens), hype pep rallies, and amazing fundraising. So when the tough times comes, I, MiJin Cho, as your president, am here to support you.