Do you believe that a school needs a representative for the student body? Every year, Edison Intermediate School (EIS) elects students to participate in roles for the Student Government Association (SGA). These four roles include: public relations director, philanthropist, school spirit, and president. These roles are open to all grades, sixth, seventh, and eighth. However, the president can only be filled by an eighth grader.
The election is held during the week of the election, which is normally in the first week of November. According to the SGA Advisor and Media Specialist Mr. Andrew Cusumano, the role of a philanthropist involves identifying causes and organizations for donations. Public relations is in charge of spread the word about school events and fundraisers, and he or she may use posters or post on the school’s Vivi televisions. Another aspect of student government is spreading spirit. The school spirit chairperson is responsible for organizing Spirit Week, the student vs. teacher games, and identifying the interests of the students. Lastly, the president’s job is to put all the roles together and manage everyone.
Four candidates ran for the 2025-2026 school year. Eighth grader Ella Wint works toward leadership amongst her peers and enjoys building teamwork with other students. Ella said, “I ran for Student Government president. I’ve always wanted to be in a leadership role. I want to make Edison a place where everyone is excited to come every day.”
Another candidate for the Edison Intermediate School (EIS) election was Logan Chen. Logan displays responsibility and is open-minded to change. Logan stated, “I want to bring real change and get as much done as possible. If we have a well-running SGA, we can make changes and improve the student experience.”
In addition, EIS eighth grader Arjun Desai ran for school president. Arjun shows responsibility and good leadership. Arjun stated, “I want to make a change. Most of the past EIS school presidents haven’t modified the school that much.”
EIS’s fourth candidate was Samantha Lara. Samantha works towards creativity and good leadership. Samantha stated, “I have the leadership skills and have good ideas to make Edison a better school. I think it would be helpful for me to have a more important role in the SGA.”
Some students who voted to elect the SGA chairpeople believe that there should be a change in some parts of EIS. Seventh grader Tai Leroy, and some other students believe that there are some needed building improvements. Tai said, “If I were to make a change, I would change the bathrooms because they are in bad shape.”
Eighth grader Laurel Giordano had several ideas to improve the student experience. Laurel claimed, “I would make cubbies the new lockers, so we don’t have to get rid of the backpacks. I would also make a new air conditioning system. And lastly, I would make it so that you can pick one person to have in some of your classes.”
According to the website Teaching With a Mountain View, having a student council enhances one’s skills and improves the school environment. “The student council offers numerous benefits to both the students and the school community as a whole. It can: Provide a platform for student voices, and ideas to be heard, empower students to express their ideas and suggestions regarding school events and activities, and foster a sense of ownership and involvement among students, promoting a positive school culture and a stronger sense of community.”
School governments build a community and trust with the students of the school. A school leader must have certain characteristics that make them a good candidate. Eighth grade science teacher Mrs. Kristi Houghtaling explained the traits that should be found in a candidate. She claimed, “A good candidate is someone who is responsible and knows the interests of their classmates, also someone friendly.”
Sixth and seventh grade math teacher Mrs. Jillian Semon agrees. She stated, “A leader is someone who is hardworking, organized and open-minded.”
Logan Chen was elected president. Logan plans on making changes to Edison Intermediate School. He strives to improve and enhance the student experience to make EIS a better place. The school spirit person is Nolan Wang, and Philanthropist is Max Yang. The elected Public Relations student is Jack Liska.
