Meet Your 2021-2022 ASB Election Candidates

Matadors, it’s that time of the year again! It’s officially election season! Voting for your 2021-2022 ASB officers occurred today (8/26), and will continue tomorrow (8/27) in your fourth-period classes. Most of the candidates answered some additional questions to help you get to know them and their platform better.

Here are the questions that were asked: 

1. Why are you running for this specific position?
2. Do you have any prior leadership experience? 
3. Should you become elected, what new ideas will you implement? 
4. How do you plan on making this in-person school year better after distance learning last year? 
5. What are some school-wide or district-wide issues you want to address?

President

Abby Pearson:  

1. I am running for ASB President because I genuinely care about our school and its students. I have had experience in the IB Program and outside of the IB Program and have been able to see the disparities between programs and make the necessary connections to make changes. I am also the most committed to Mira Loma, as I am here from 6:00 am-6:00 pm daily. I am often the first and last person in the parking lot. I did not come from Churchill and only knew 3 people coming to Mira Loma from my middle school. I was expected to be cast out immediately but the students at Mira Loma are so inviting that I quickly made friends. I want to make sure that I can be that person to other people and being ASB President helps me be that person.
2. Last year, I was Mira Loma’s ASB Secretary. Over the summer, I was Acting ASB President, Acting ASB Vice President, Acting ASB Treasurer, and an Acting Supreme Court Justice. I was also Vice-Chairman of Site Council which is where we delegate academic funds to those in need! This is my second year in the Student Government class at Mira Loma and I have planned several of our activities such as Club Rush, Game Nights, and Orientation. I am also the Head of the Club Rush Committee this year which I’m looking forward to! I have been a prominent member at deco parties for SAR and Homecoming! On top of all that, I have been on the Mira Loma Volleyball team since my Freshman year. All these experiences have added to my perspective of Mira Loma and make it easier for me to attend to the student body’s collective needs!
3. I have numerous ideas for Mira Loma, but my favorite one is adding extended lunches. On the first Friday of school, we had an extended lunch for an unofficial club rush activity. I would love to have at least one extended lunch per month. Mira Loma’s diverse culture is something I believe we all should embrace. Therefore, during these extended lunch periods, I propose we have our cultural events on these days such as Asian Art Fair and Dia De Los Muertos. I would also love to work with the French Program to incorporate them and hopefully do something for Mardi Gras! I am working on painting a mural in the PE quad and on the baseball field! I hope to work with NAHS to get these done!
4. I definitely want to get back to a sense of normalcy and we are starting to figure out details of Homecoming! Obviously, safety is our number 1 priority but we are still able to do several activities at lunch while remaining our distance, like the current Spikeball/Pickleball intramurals, unofficial club rush, and our lunchtime activities. I want to try and do some SAR activities during lunch, such as Izzy Dizzy to make students excited for the big event! I also want to ensure that all our clubs are meeting regularly. Almost every day, if not every day, if I am elected as ASB President, I will try to have something to do at lunch, after school, or during class!
5. I think a huge issue at our school is the distance between the programs. Since transferring from the IB Program, I have been able to make so many connections with people I would not have had the opportunity to meet. Sports-A-Rama is the main activity where the programs mingle but it is too late in the year to make a noticeable difference, especially for underclassmen. We need to put more focus on general education students, as they are often overshadowed by IB and IS. I propose that we continue doing more SAR-like activities during the year starting in August.

Adrian Li:

1. This has been a role, that I have been striving to achieve since freshman year. It was the first question that I asked my tour guide during freshman orientation. I want to do good better for the school, and create a positive impact for as many students as possible.
2. I have been in 2 years of SG in middle school, 1 year of SG in HS, 2 years continuously elected as VP of C/O22, ASB Supreme Court, Site Council, and starting my 2nd year of SG in HS
3. I pride myself on being a good listener because I can’t come up with everything all by myself. I know I don’t have all the answers, but someone else might know something. So an idea that was proposed to me by my friend Divya Mamidi that I would like to implement is to have an informal dance, where all the ticket and concessions profits would go towards charity. If anybody else has an idea that they might like to propose, I am always willing to listen.
4. The main points that I got from students about the downsides of distance learning, was that people felt secluded- detached from other peers, and a lack of motivation to do work. This is the opposite of what the high school experience should be. As a representative of Student Government and Site Council, I don’t want students’ memories of high school to be unenjoyable. So in order to make this school year better, we need to start rebuilding school spirit. Not a lot of students have an idea of what it means to be a Matador. Only the Seniors have had experience with SAR, and the Juniors have barely touched it. The students currently all have a mixed identity, the underclassmen still feel like they are in 7/8th grade, and carry the identities from middle school with them. Whether they were Bulldogs, Spartans, Panthers, etc.- they still haven’t had the feeling of being a matador. We as a school need a unified identity once more, and building that identity of being a matador is one of the ways I will make the school year better. Mira Loma has always been a very diverse school, and we were able to unite before, but now more than 75% of the school doesn’t even know the fight song. That is something that needs to change.
5. A school-wide issue to address, once again going back to the idea of unification, is the division between different programs. We need to promote friendships and understanding of each other. Like in my campaign- doing good better by creating personal connections, I have talked to people from many different programs, and I have found that at the core, we are all the same. A district-wide issue that should be addressed is the dress code. Students should be able to wear what they are comfortable in. Mira Loma as a school is actually not as bad as the others. Ours is just the district code. However if you look at Rio’s dress code, it’s different. They added a lot more restrictions on their students. ML’s Dress Code (its in the handbook)- https://www.sanjuan.edu/Page/39023. Rio’s Dress Code- https://www.sanjuan.edu/domain/7719 

Vice President 

Isabella (Izzy) Carrasco: 

1. I would love to represent Mira Loma as a whole. Throughout the years I have grown attached to this community. Oddly enough, in my freshman year, I was not very active in school activities at all until some of my best friends got me into it around Homecoming season in 2019. I would love to give back to those people who inspired me by supporting them back as their ASB Vice President as well as being a support and advisor to our ASB President, who will be amazing no matter which candidate they end up being.
2. Yes, I have had prior leadership experience. During our sophomore year, I was not a class officer. However, I worked alongside them frequently for Homecoming, TWIRP, and SAR. This was also the time where I started learning about the responsibilities of our school’s executive board and ASB leaders. When the pandemic hit, I did not shy away from taking other responsibilities as I officially joined the student government class and become Class Treasurer. I also become our Academic Decathlon’s Secretary which I am continuing to be this year. While this is a new and daunting role I am taking on, I am certain that I will be a great ASB Vice President due to my adaptability and my enthusiasm to work with others.
3. I would love to see that we have some kind of recreational center for students. While we have pickleball and spikeball set up outside at the crossroads, I feel like we should expand on this idea. It would include more activities as well as be a safe space for students if they need a break. I also would like to make sanitary items such as masks, hand sanitizer, and gloves more accessible to students. While we have hand sanitizer dispensers in the hallway they do not work and I believe fixing them will improve our communities health. Providing make will also make it much easier for students who cannot frequently buy disposable masks or wash their reusable one to keep themselves and other students safe.
4. The biggest issue I saw with schooling during the pandemic was a lack of engagement and communication. While going back to school should fix this, there is still an issue of starting a new routine for, not just new students, but for all returning students as well. I would like to create an environment where students feel comfortable with asking their teachers as well as other students questions when they are unsure of what to do. I would also like to work closely with our counselors to have an understanding of where our community is at and what ASB can do to help them and so we can reassure our students that they always have somewhere to turn to. This is more than just academics. This is about mental health and reassurance that somehow, someway everything is going to turn out alright.
5. There are two things I would like to address: mental health and the lives of marginalized students. In general, our student’s mental health has been poor and the pandemic only made it worse. There is a multitude of reasons why this is happening including academic struggles, home life, and many others. I would like to help alleviate some of this stress by providing help for other students such as more contact with their counselors and informing our community of our tutoring programs and creating spaces for students who don’t feel safe in their homes. I also want to provide more materials such as notebooks and stationery for students who are unable to buy them for themselves. The safety of students of color and queer students is an issue to address as I do not want them to feel ostracized at our campus. We can help them by building support for these students and understanding for one another.

Toby Gaudreau:

1. I am running for this specific position because I believe I will work great with either candidate running for President and being VP will allow me to plan events and use my experience to successfully bring back the traditions that we love. 
2. I have had the honor to be Class President, Class VP, and one of two students in their third year in the student government class making me the most qualified candidate as I have been a part of student government during a normal school year and know how to run and plan our normal activities and have already taken efforts to do this so far this year. Being elected will allow me to continue doing this with the right resources to make this the best year possible
3. We are looking into many ways to bring back our normal Mira Loma traditions but also create new ones as well! We love our big events like Homecoming and Sports a Rama but my goal is to bring more day-to-day activities during lunch and more to give people something to look forward to more often. I’ve taken the initiative to be in charge of Lunchtime intramurals this year and that’s just one example of something I want to do to boost school spirit on campus
4. Being in person allows us to do a lot more than last year and having the experience of being in the class so long, I want to bring back our normal traditions but also adapt our new events started last year to make this year even better! Last year forced us to think outside the box and I’m not going to stop doing that this year either!
5. Covid is still a big issue and getting approval of events is something I am trying very hard to work on this year. We love our traditions at Mira Loma and I plan to do everything I can to ensure that these events can happen and to their fullest extent one way or another.

Secretary

Emma Pham-Tran: 

1. I am running for ASB Secretary because losing this past year due to COVID-19 has made me more determined to plan events that can safely happen this year. As ASB Secretary, I will do my best to make sure the Executive Board works efficiently and stays on track so that student requests, such as fundraisers, get approved in a timely manner!
2. I do have prior leadership experience as a class officer and club officer. I was class secretary in my freshman year and was Secretary of National Honor Society in my sophomore year. I have also been Secretary for organizations outside of school such as the Girl Scout’s Girl Voice Committee and Dear Asian Youth’s Sacramento chapter!
3. If elected, I will try to implement a volunteer buddy program between underclassmen and upperclassmen.
4. I plan to make this year better by helping plan a big event every month of this school year. The events will vary and will most likely be held outside when possible/necessary to ensure that all Mira Loma students stay safe.
5. One school-wide issue I would like to address is the division between academic programs. Having events that are more inclusive of all individuals is our school’s ultimate goal and I would like to help make sure that progress is made so we can accomplish this goal one day!

Treasurer

Ailsa Perrou

1. I am running for the position of ASB treasurer because I really enjoyed being my class treasurer last year and many of the skills I have acquired will carry over into this year if I am elected. 
2. Yes, I have held a number of leadership roles on campus and in my community. Last year, I was the treasurer for the class of 2023 and also became a part of an outreach program called W.E.S.T. where I lead various initiatives to help support the community in Arden and surrounding areas.
3. If I become elected, I would implement better methods of organization for events and contribute more ideas to class fundraisers.
4. I plan to take initiative in creating inclusive events that follow all of the current COVID 19 guidelines while also having fun. Ideally, I would like to ensure that many events resume from a normal school year, even if they are modified.
5. I want to help address the lights issue on our football field and the financial deficit from the previous COVID 19 year, as we lacked many of our usual fundraisers.

Supreme Court

Michael Alofa-Aders: 

1. It’s a position that I enjoy the responsibilities of, and I have previous experience in it. I didn’t get to exercise nearly as much of the responsibilities of the office last year, so I’d like another try at it.
2. I’ve been in student government before, and I have experience specifically with this position.
3. I’ll do my best to promote and address the concerns of different, often unheard student voices in order to improve school events. I’ll also do my best to foster school spirit and help reinstate school traditions after the last two years of disarray.
4. I plan on emphasizing school events and maximizing student participation. I also want to educate newer students on the traditions of the school.
5. I’d like to promote inclusiveness in different groups around campus and help educate students on issues of racial/sexual inequality.

Anela Rei-Tan: 

1. I’m running for ASB Supreme Court because I want to make a difference in the school and in the students’ lives, even if it’s just a small one! Since this is my first year in Student Government, I think that having an ASB position will allow my voice to be heard in a more effective way than if I was just a regular student in the Stud. Gov. class.
2. Unless we count winning Vice President of my elementary school’s student government, then I don’t have any other S.G. experience. However, I’ve been a club officer of B-Sharps for the past 3 years, and this year, I’ve become an officer of Drama Club! I also helped Student Government in the weeks prior to the start of school with Freshman tours, decorations, and more before I had even transferred into the class.
3. Should I be elected, I fully support the idea of getting an extended lunch as often as possible! As a club officer of two performance-based clubs, I know that having that extra time not only helps clubs out with events, but all students alike who are often too busy with other things during lunch and don’t typically have time to wait in line to get to school lunch or eat the lunch they’ve brought.
4. I plan to make this in-person year better than distance learning with school spirit ideas! Since rallies are a bit of a stretch at the moment, I hope to implement new ways to get students involved with school spirit events since that was a huge loss to us last year.
5. There are many things I’d like to address if elected, but the most recent issue I’d like to talk about is our dress code. I know that a lot of people at our school, as well as myself, have some issues with the dress code our school has implemented and its reasons. So, if given the chance, I’d like to open a civil discussion with both students and staff on how we can find a more accepting dress code that makes all parties content.  

Make sure to be as informed as possible and make your vote count!