Boston Latin School’s rising seniors will elect their Class of 2024 officers this month, with the first round of elections held on June 7. 

The top two candidates for each position — president, vice president, treasurer and secretary — move on to a final round of voting on June 13. Social media and physical campaign flyers, however, began streaming out from candidates in mid-May. While in the past, students voted on these positions in the fall of senior year, the elections were moved to  late spring to maximize the necessary planning time in the summer.

BLS guidance counselor Ms. Andrea Encarnacao and BLS mathematics teacher Ms. Alyssa Sarkis, the senior class advisors, found this change successful with their first attempt in 2020. 

Although the pandemic halted spring elections, both Michelle Zhang (I), the current treasurer of the Class of 2023, and Ms. Sarkis agreed that the change will benefit next year’s officers. They will “hit the ground running” with fall events in mind, says Ms. Sarkis, as some highlights of the year — including the senior picnic, Halloween and Rally Day — come up quicker than expected.

Looking ahead to next year, fundraising and finding new methods of engagement is a priority for the class officers. Zhang explains that they have done a lot of food-related fundraising this year, partnering with Chipotle and Blaze Pizza.

 “Our class has definitely been one of the most involved in that area, so a lot of it actually comes to fruition,” says Zhang.

The Class of 2023 officers were the first to organize a paint night, and Ms. Sarkis hopes more new ideas will arise with the Class of 2024.

A staple of high schools across America, student government builds leadership skills, a community-based mindset and a better sense of student perspectives. Especially for those apprehensive to share their ideas, this tradition of democracy offers a support system and the opportunity to put ideas into action. Ms. Sarkis emphasizes, “When we meet every week, there’s a really good sense of community. […] Working collaboratively has been successful for all these years.”

She adds that while each student comes in with a specific role, the ideas and tasks are fluid across the positions and not necessarily based on a student’s title. At these weekly Wednesday meetings, the five leaders discuss fundraising or manage details of upcoming occasions. In addition to planning, they are the faces of the senior class, often giving speeches at assemblies.

Many of the juniors agree that there is a balance between people voting for a candidate’s values and their popularity. A unique aspect of current elections is the availability of online information about the candidates; specifically, social media accounts that let the personalities of the candidates shine through.

Natalia Troy (II) explains, “I’m looking for someone who is willing to put in the work to improve things […] who is running for a position because they actually want it.” Current juniors also look forward to seeing how their class will step up as the oldest students in the School next year, even those who are not elected.

Most importantly, the officers should aim to create a fun, tight-knit senior year. Zhang leaves a piece of advice for the rising seniors: lean into the support of the leadership team and always be passionate about the events being run.