The election for student body president is right around the corner. There are two candidates, Oliver Adler (‘20) and Shana Chen (‘20). The election occurs on April 5. The best way to make an educated choice is to get to know the candidates.

The position of student body president is a big responsibility and a job that only seniors can hold. Students of all grades will decide who they want to represent them in this upcoming school year. Adler and Chen both chose to run for different reasons.

Adler chose to run because he wants to promote student unity and heal what he views as bad blood between students and administration.  

“I want the opportunity to voice the opinions of East students to our administration. I think there are a lot of important issues right now about which students disagree with the administration,” said Adler. “I have seen progress this past year in limiting the disconnect between students and administration, and I want to bridge that gap further.”

 Chen, on the other hand, wants to represent the voices of as many students as she can.

“I’m running for president because being in class SGA has opened my eyes up to the great opportunities that I have had to represent my class but also the limitations of my position. I want to take on more responsibility in terms of listening to everyone,” said Chen.

Both of the candidates want to make East the best it can be, but have different agendas they hope to complete during their term.

Adler  hopes to create a healthy environment where faculty and students can work together to make the school experience ultimately better.

“Many of the decisions made in our school often come about without the explanation to the other groups about why they were made,” said Adler. “I want students to be able to sit down with teachers and administration to discuss the problems at our school, so no longer will any group be caught off guard by big changes or events in the school.”

Chen (‘20) has different goals for the upcoming school year, hoping to make SSGA more accessible.

“I hope to eliminate the stigma around SGA and connect it to the student body more. I would like to make SGA more open to others ideas,” said Chen.

Adler believes that his experience sets him apart from Chen as the ideal choice.

“I’ve held positions as a class representative, class officer, and school officer that have combined to give me a unique perspective on our school. These positions have also given me a lot of experience representing my classmates. I also think my commitment to East and to bringing about what’s best for its students sets me apart,” said Adler.

Chen, on the other hand, believes her relatability is her biggest asset.

“I think what sets me apart from other candidates ironically is that I’m a pretty average person,” said Chen. “Typically, people that run for student government are some of the most outstanding people in every aspect. I think that my casual ordinary-ness is what allows me to relate to and understand common school problems more.”

Students will go to the polls (on Google Classroom) tomorrow to determine the next school-wide president. Check out Eastside Online for updates.