Candidates deliver speeches for Junior Class President
September 4, 2014
One thousand, four hundred and thirty-three students. Four candidates. One Junior Class President. On Sept. 4, Plano’s Class of 2016 was presented a choice between juniors Jeffrey Kim, Jenny Juarez, Cate Goff and Ryan Dusek. Each candidate offered a different vision of Plano’s “Wildcat Nation,” with one key characteristic in common – bringing one of Plano’s largest student bodies ever together like never before.
Kim was the first to speak, talking candidly about his nerves and excitement at possibly being elected to one of his first officer positions. Touching on his desire to unify the junior class, Kim said he plans to bring past Vines and Clark students together into one big family if elected president. Perhaps most memorable was Kim’s message to the crowd that while he could not expect them to vote for him, he hoped they would consider it.
Juarez rose to the podium next, beginning her speech with a series of questions for her fellow students concerning Homecoming and upcoming events at Plano. With explosive enthusiasm, Juarez promised the audience she would make their junior year memorable. Goff used a similar question and answer technique in her speech, but chose instead to highlight the junior class’ lack of input in large school decisions. After asking the crowd how many of them had a hand in choosing this year’s Homecoming theme and receiving a lackluster response, Goff vowed to give every student a voice in the future of their school, even if it means “pulling out her toolbox” and putting in the hard labor herself. Goff made a number of suggestions, including the addition of more outdoor seating for lunch, the production of junior class T-shirts, and the introduction of “No Homework Thursdays,” which received loud cheers of approval from her peers.
As the assembly drew to a close, Dusek described his decision to run for class president, namely his sister’s disbelief when he told her the news. Having never felt a desire to express school spirit, Dusek said his experiences at last month’s Cat Camp sparked a fire within him to represent Plano at the highest level. Listing the school’s achievements and his hopes to lead large projects such as Plano’s famous blood drive, Dusek capped off the morning with a slogan: “A vote for me is a vote for you.”
To vote, log on to voting4schools.com or download the app “Voting4Schools” for Android or iPhone. Search “Plano Senior” and follow the instructions in order to cast your vote for one of the four candidates. Voting ends Fri., Sept. 5 at 4:15 p.m.
UPDATE: There will be a run-off election between candidates Ryan Dusek and Cate Goff on Mon., Sept. 8 from 7 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Vote using voting4schools.com or through the app “Voting4Schools” for Android or iPhone. The winner will be announced Mon. afternoon.
UPDATE 9/14: Ryan Dusek has been voted class president for the Class of 2016.
