Candidates review their speeches and prepare themselves for the start of the assembly.

To start the month of April and the final leg of the school year, Blue Jays got down to business in the Jesuit auditorium for student council executive board speeches. Election week began with speeches on Tuesday, April 2 and ended with voting results on Thursday, April 4. In total, 817 of the 1,073 potential voters submitted a ballot on Canvas, Jesuit’s online learning platform. That is more than 75 percent participation in this year’s election for the following candidates:

• President: Effy Marks and Carter Montalbano
• Vice President: Chris Charles and Chris Favalora
• Secretary: Carlo Barrera and Clark Romig
• Treasurer: John Gunaldo and Hunter Richardson

View the Photo Gallery from the Executive Board Speeches Assembly

After the week of intense campaigning, four of the major leadership positions have been chosen by the student body.

Nathaniel “Effy” Marks, a junior, was elected student body president; and fellow junior Chris Charles was elected student council vice president.

Rising seniors John Gunaldo and Carlo Barrera were elected treasurer and secretary, respectively. 

The Student Council Constitution states that the student council executive board is important in “preserving school spirit, instilling values of Christian leadership through service, and sponsoring social events for the student body.” The Student Council is only as good as the students elected to its offices. The Executive Board carries out most of the tasks and responsibilities; so these offices are of great importance.

The purpose of the student council speeches as well as the campaigning by the candidates is to introduce them to students so that they can make an informed choice when voting. It was imperative that students give their undivided attention to each candidate as they gave their speech. 

Candidates were required to limit their speeches to less than two minutes. The E-Board hopefuls submitted their rough drafts for speeches nearly two weeks ago and spent last week rehearsing. At the rehearsals they were given feedback and suggestions by several faculty and staff members.

As many of the candidates mentioned in their speeches, the current executive board certainly set the bar high for next school year. And future members of the Executive Board should continue to be, as the constitution states, “men who deal amiably with others, maintain continued academic success, practice their faith regularly, and are an example to the student body in abiding by school norms of conduct and appearance.

Class Level President nomination forms may be picked up outside of Student Council Office, Room 113, or from Mr. Genovese in the Guidance Office. Completed forms are to be turned in on Thursday, April 11.

The roles of the four major executive board positions are listed below. For more information on the purposes of the Jesuit Student Council, click here.

Office of Secretary: The secretary’s tasks include recording the minutes of all meetings and meeting attendance, preparing morning announcements, maintaining bulletin boards, and preparing correspondence with other schools as needed.

Office of Treasurer: The treasurer oversees the counting and recording of all money at functions and maintains the Student Council’s financial record, including income from soft drink machines, dances, and Student Council activities.

Office of Vice President: The vice president supports the work of the Student Council through leading meetings in the absence of the president, chairs committees, and acts as the Student Council representative to all other co-curricular organizations. This may include providing leadership training for the officers of other organizations or serving as the contact person for clubs, teams, and organizations.

Office of President: The president presides at all meetings and functions of the Student Council, coordinates the work of the  Executive Board, makes appointments to committees and vacant offices, and acts as the student body’s representative.