The hallways at BHS have been full of excitement recently; everyone is talking about the upcoming student government elections, and voting day, set for April 9, is right around the corner!

Campaign posters are everywhere, and students are trying to decide who will earn their vote.

Candidates from the classes of 2027, 2028, and 2029 have been sharing their ideas for improving the school, hoping to increase school spirit, improve the building, and raise money for fun events like field trips and prom. On Thursday, all candidates will give their final speeches during HIVE and voting will open via a Google Form right after that.

Here’s a closer look at the candidates, and their campaigns, and what they promise to do if they win.

Class of 2027: A Push for an Awesome Senior Year

For the current juniors in the Class of 2027, the main goal is making sure their final year of high school is one to remember.

The current class officers are running again together in their campaign: The Manzo Slate.
The campaign is led by Louis Manzo, running for President. His running mates include Nate Frohlich (Vice President), Davina Obi (Secretary), Leila Verzella (Treasurer), and Becca Law (Historian) and two Social Chairs, Jayden Bonilla and Jane Voets.

Their message to their classmates is very simple and clear: they want to give everyone an amazing senior year. If they get elected, The Manzo Slate promises to focus on raising money so they can have awesome senior activities at the end of the year and a spectacular prom. Their motto is, “Let’s finish strong, class of  ’27!”

Class of 2028: A Tight Race for Teamwork and Fun

The sophomores in the Class of 2028 have a really close race this year. Two big campaigns are running, and they both have very different ideas on how to run the class.

The Sturges Slate is led by Thomas Sturges for President. His campaign includes Coen Widmeyer (Vice President), AJ D’Angelo (Secretary), Eli Mayer (Treasurer), Matt Polemeni (Historian), and Social Chairs Vincent Gustavson and Alex Kezik.

Their main focus is bringing everyone together. Sturges believes that if the whole class works as a team, it will be way easier to raise money for prom and the senior trip. Vincent Gustavson agrees, noting his goal as Social Chair is to host fun, friendly competitions to help students connect with each other.

Running against them is The Shamas Ticket, led by Natalie Shamas for Class President. Her running mates include Benjamin O’Brien (Vice President), Kyleigh Nugent (Secretary), Kaila Jones (Treasurer), Tasia Emmons (Historian), and Mackenzie Wagner (Social Chair).

Shamas wants to raise money in a more fun way, like hosting school-wide sports tournaments. She also cares a lot about student-athletes and wants to work with groups to get healthier food options in the cafeteria. Additionally, Shamas wants to make sure BHS is a diverse place where every single student feels included.

Class of 2029: Fixing the School vs. Planning Together

For the freshmen in the Class of 2029, there are three campaigns with each having different opinions on school issues and their resolutions.

The Slate of Change is led by Aaryan Medhat for President and Noemi Wullaert for Vice President. They are focusing on fixing real, everyday problems at the school.

They say “Branford students deserve better,” and they want to make real changes happen. They are asking for better sports and weight room equipment so athletes can train right, along with clean bathrooms and water fountains, which they say are basic necessities. Plus, they want new gear for the performing arts, saying musicians and actors deserve good equipment, too.

Wullaert says she wants to make sure student voices are actually heard by the school’s administration so real changes can be made.

Running against them is The Supreme Slate, led by Eva Ellis for President. Her campaign includes Kurt Durante (Vice President), Julianna Pantani (Secretary), and Peyton McKenna (Treasurer). The Supreme Slate is all about teamwork and communication. Eva Ellis plans to send out polls to her classmates so everyone can share their ideas for field trips and class bonding events.

Peyton McKenna and Juliana Pantani both say they want to make sure the student government is organized and honest with money. They promise to take good notes and make sure everyone knows exactly what is going on at school.

Lastly Vote for a Voice, the final Freshmen campaign, led by President Vesa Bejleri, aims for all students to get a voice in school issues. Bejleri’s running mates include VP Duncan Montag, Historian Lucy Mitchell, and finally Lucho Sanchez & Grace Salter for the Social Chairs.

The main goal, as specified by the President, is to “unify student concerns and ideas into one voice, to make a bigger impact on our school’s environment.” Additional goals of the slate are to organize cultural fairs, promoting the inclusion of heritage. They also want to accomplish the goals of getting more feminine products in the restrooms, cleaning and keeping up the restrooms more, as well as creating a student tutoring program and “Inter-Club” and Sports Council to consolidate the array of extracurriculars under one umbrella.

Whether you care about getting clean water fountains, healthier lunches, or planning the best prom ever, there’s a campaign for each voter.