Student Council Elections 2016 President Amanda Bris Conrad Grindheim Camilla Lozinska-Browm Habib Makhlouf
Vice President Chetan Khanna
Treasurer Achilleas Martinis
Secretary Isabella Kiker
Events and Communications Officer
Middle School Vice President
Beth Rennie
Lukas Merkel
Sports Officer
Middle School Events
Marie Viola
Middle School President
Sofia Cornu
Sophia Temperley Chloe Uzoukwu
Alex Gontkovic Liam De Pauw Rebeca Ravara May 13, 2016 Special Issue
Editors Anna Voigt, Chetan Khanna, John David Villarino, Nikolay Zhurov, Rafael Ribas, Aidan Kirby
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President Camilla Lozinska-Brown
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ear fellow ISL students,
My name is Camilla LozinskaBrown, I am currently in Year 12 and you may see me quite a lot round school seemingly changing outfits every two minutes. For those who may be questioning their sanity: no you’re not going crazy, I have a twin sister. (Vote for me and you have two presidents for the cost of one!) This year, I have decided to run for Student Council President as I feel that I have a number of skills that would be an asset for the council. I have only been at the school for two years but thanks to the warmth of the community I feel as I’ve much longer. This embracing atmosphere has quickly helped me get to know the school’s culture towards work, community and sport. This is important as I think your voice and opinion should be heard which I would act upon as President to improve your school life. Over the past two years, I have been involved with many team sports such as football, netball and ski team. Participating in these teams have really helped me learn how to work with other people in a coherent way, more specifi-
Hsbib Mahklouf
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ello my name is Habib Makhlouf; I would give a small summary of who I am but I am sure you already know. I will now list my qualifications and the titles I have gathered in the past years: -Number one footballer in Tunisia. -Number one FIFA player in Morocco. -Star of Tim Fessler’s production, ‘A View from the Bridge’. -Captain and top scorer of the High school C team. Impressed, question mark… the best is yet to come: I will be able to add President to my trophy case. You didn’t read that wrong—I am going to be your president next year. It is a very important position in the school, and I want to make sure that the right body is sitting on the throne. Some of you might think that I have not been at this school long enough to know its true identity; however, I think that the greatest changes come from people who are able to look
cally when to take the lead and when to support other people and let other people lead. Although skiing is not a team sport, the sense of community and support you experience whilst competing for the school is outstanding. The teams have allowed me to familiarise myself with students from a wide range of years. I feel that I am a very approachable person who would take any idea or suggestion seriously. Being involved with a number of activities which encompass different year groups will ease the job as president to communicate with the middle school years. This has also been facilitated for me by having a younger brother in year 9. My brother, Charles, has provided me with an important insight into the middle school years and has allowed me to understand the significance of having a secondary school that intermingles to create a sense of family. I have also been involved with the school’s newspaper The High for which I have now written a number of articles ranging from the ban of ripped jeans to dealing with body image as a teenager. More importantly, I have become increasingly aware of the student body’s opinions through this activity. This makes me a good candidate for
being President as I will do everything possible for the opinion of the student body to be heard and take action upon them. Therefore, if you vote for me this coming Wednesday, I promise that I will make sure that your voice, as a student, will be heard throughout the following year and you will get a free chocolate brownie!
at things from a different perspective. The students who have always been at ISL might be less prone to realising certain aspects which could be improved simply because they have always been used to them. This is something which must certainly not be underestimated. As they say, a mole will not criticise its hole if it does not know what the world is like around it. In light of the expansion, new students keep on arriving every year and I think it is fundamental to preserve the International School of Lausanne’s welcoming atmosphere of safety and respect. When I am president, I will do my best to not only maintain but strengthen these values in the school. On a minor note, to you munchkins out there who go out at recess: I promise that you will be able to come inside through the door in the cafeteria. I want you to be able to enjoy every minute of playtime you can get while also getting a full, healthy meal. And I promise, I will not make make any promises I won’t keep. I must admit that one of my political opponents is an expert in interna-
tional relations. I read her newspaper article in which she criticised the media for turning North Korea into a joke; as she says, this is certainly ‘no laughing matter’. To show how much she sticks to her claims, I would like you all to have a look at her poster, an excellent piece of work!
Your future president xoxo
I look forward to seeing you all on the election day, Wednesday the 18th. In case you have a hard time remembering who to vote, you should remind yourself that it’s magic…. Pouf, Vote Makhlouf.
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President Conrad Grindheim
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suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people” - Mahatma Gandhi In many ways, this quote here perfectly describes me as a leader. I am definitely not a big person (I’ve been told countless times that I have to go outside for outdoor recess, even though I’m in Year 11), and I have many friends that are very different in many distinct ways. Most would say that the biggest difference between me and them is our age gap. However, having friends in Y7 all the way to Y13, I can safely say that this is not the case. I learned that as long as you have an open mind, and are willing to take other people’s ideas into consideration, there’s no reason why you can’t get along. I believe that the skills I acquired while making all of these interesting friendships will allow
Amanda Bris
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have been at this school for three years and I have seen many good presidents come and go. It is a cliché to say that it has always been my dream to become president, but it is. Ever since I was a Year 10 and watched the Student Council election, I was determined that someday I would be standing on that stage, campaigning to become a president myself. So here I am. It is inevitable feel a little intimidated by the whole idea of running for president. I am sure many of us remember Charles’ famous speech where he was dressed in drag, pretending to be his own sister, which took a lot of creativity and courage. Although this was brilliant, my presidential style is a little different. I do not want the President of the Student Council to not take his/her job seriously, as one of my fellow candidates seems to be doing. It is great to have a charismatic leader who makes the audience laugh, but it is even better to have an effective one who actually tackles issues that we face as students. I am a committed and determined person, and although I do not have the presence or flamboyance that past presidents have had, I have determination and a very strong character. I am not running for president because it will look good on my college application, or because I
me to listen to the students of ISL and try as hard as I possibly can to make their ideas reality. On a less personal note, I also write for The High, our friendly neighbourhood high school newspaper, which has allowed me to become more organized, manage my time better, and get my pun articles rejected by both Meghana and Ruby. Moreover, effort is an absolute must when one thinks of a great leader, and I can tell you from firsthand experience that I am not a person who holds back (ok, maybe when I have to do house chores or something of the like…). If you think I’m kidding, just ask Mr Marlow… In Year 10 I had to do a poster, and I don’t really remember what unit it was for, but i ended up doing it on Ebola. The poster was supposed to be an A4 piece of paper, and maybe A3 at max. What size was mine? A2… Yes, A2…. You can ask anyone who was in 10CM in the years
of 2014-2015, and they’ll tell you how surprised they were when I came into class with a poster bigger than me… I put in so much work into that...TL;DR, I will always do my best… Even if it’s a bit excessive…
enjoy bossing people around. Believe me, I have been to North Korea and I know what harm dictators can do. You might have noticed my poster around school, which is mocking the leader of North Korea, and not the country itself. After all, it is a leader who has the potential to bring positive or negative change to a country, or in our case, a school. I am running because I want to bring positive change to the school. In the past year with the expansion, the number of students at ISL has grown enormously, and I think that this is a huge advantage as we have more people who have a lot to offer.
Yes, Wacky Week and Action for Others are fun, but we could have many other events like them, as well as raise money for charity, which would make ISL a better place. We are a big school with a lot of potential, and if we put our mind to something I am positive we can get it done.
However, the ISL Student Council is still running like it has been for the past three years, and now it is time for change. I have noticed over the years that fewer people are willing to get involved. I want the Student Council to be a force to be reckoned with, and to actually play a part in decision making in ISL, which is almost completely run by teachers and the board of directors. I want to get people excited about Student Council and to want to get involved. It is not just a small organization of representatives, but the voice of every single person in ISL, and we need to give it so much more importance than it currently has. I feel the Student Council could do so much more: events, fundraisers, campaigns and outreach to individual students.
Also, who wouldn’t want their president to be some friendly, unintimidating guy? Wouldn’t that president be much more approachable?
When I have a goal, I invest everything I have to offer to achieve it. In other words, I get stuff done. If I am elected as president, I will never miss a deadline. I will be consistent and hardworking. I will attend every Student Council meeting. I will take every consideration into account when making decisions. I will bring positive change. I will listen to your voice. Vote Amanda Bris for Student Council President!
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Vice President Chetan Khanna One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice-president, and that one word is ‘to be prepared’ - Dan Quayle ould you choose a vicepresident who lacks student council experience? A vicepresident who is lazy? A vice-president who can’t take the best decisions with an analytical mind? A vice-president who can’t lead? Or would you rather put your money on someone who has vital qualities to be a great vice-president? A vice-president who has experience, is capable and can make good decisions. And these are qualities that I believe I have. Co-leading the student council is like steering a ship: nothing trumps experience. I know how the student council works and where the turbulent waters are. I have had experience of participating in decision making and how to make choices. Perhaps even more importantly, with my ability to view our decisions and meetings from a bigpicture perspective, I also know where to make improvements, which has set me up perfectly to take decisions next year. I’ve also been the class representative at ISL in Years 8 and 9, and both years, feedback from my homerooms has told me I’m reliable, trustworthy and organised. To ensure that my homeroom knows what’s happening, I normally gave news through PowerPoints. During Wacky Week, I ensured that everything was smooth and chaos was prevented through discussions, voting and the use of Google Docs. Everybody got to choose the games they wanted to be in, and our roles in the
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secret theme performances were decided in advance. This led to a significantly smoother Wacky Week with lot of fun. In Years 8 and 9, I also created a Google Calendar which had all our homework on it so that we could save time at the end of lessons writing in our homework diaries. It also allowed for better planning. Remember: nothing substitutes experience. A vice-president with experience is a vice-president which will take the best decisions to bring this school forward. “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Imagine a vice-president who doesn’t turn up to meetings because he couldn’t find time for it. Worse still a vice-president who can’t make any decisions because he “didn’t have time” to think about it. As a VP, you need to get stuff done – and you need to get it done well. Organisation has been one of my strengths for a number of years now; not just at school, but at home as well. A basic example: whenever my workload is high, everything is planned then plotted on a calendar, allowing me to complete my work on time but also “continue with my life”. For a good VP, the ability to work hard is similarly critical. The benefits are fairly obvious; going over them would simply bore you. I do believe that I am hard-working; rarely do I not try and complete something to the best of my abilities, and this role will be no exception. Critical thinking is crucial to perform well as vice-president. Once again, I’m not going to bore you, but I will give you an example. Due to the school’s expansion this year, we’ve had to consistently make decisions that could have gone catastrophically wrong if we didn’t fully think through them first. To give you one example of many, we’ve had to completely overhaul the elections process – all the way from the positions to the process. It took weeks to decide the ins and outs of it. Do you want a leader who can lead and who can make good decisions? With my experience and skills of organisation/execution, I’ll be able to ensure events go smoothly and thoroughly vet any decision before making it. With my analytical ability, I’ll be able to consider decisions from several perspectives before putting my ideas on the table. You’ll get a better, fun and interesting school, and an experienced, committed and decisive vice-president (unless Donald Trump becomes president here!).
Sports Officer Marie Viola
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ello everyone, For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Marie and I am running for Sports Officer. Why? Well, I love sports! But that’s not it; I think that ISL is a great school that encourages you to participate in many afterschool activities, and pushes you to your limits when joining a team. However, just like you and I it isn’t perfect. I am not saying that I will make sports at ISL perfect, but I am sure that I can make it slightly better. Steve Jobs once said that “the only way to do great work is to love what you do”. I love my school, I love sports, and I am a very dedicated student who is ready to work hard to get what is needed and wanted. I am not scared to speak up and share my ideas; ask my teachers, I’m sure they’ll agree. More games, more fun, more sportsrelated service projects and so much more is what I want to bring to the ISL sports community. Sounds good, no? I will try to find more games and tournaments for all the categories of a sports team (Football, volleyball…etc) and together, we will break the record of golden medals and cups brought home. Vote for me!!!
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Treasurer Achilleas Martinis
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ho I am: I am Achilleas Martinis, currently in Year 10 and at my 4th year at ISL. Before ISL, I was attending Athens College in Greece, a school with long institutional history of student governance and student activities. You might think that I’m too young for Student Council Treasurer, but I would argue that you should judge me for my plans and ideas - you should also consider that it is a good thing to have a mix of ages and experiences in the student council. Why I am running: I decided to run for the position of Student Council Treasurer because it is important to me to contribute to ISL and the student community. I have many ideas for what the Student Council should do to improve our joint ISL experience. My plans: My focus as a Treasurer will be on the following priorities: - Increase the transparency of the Student Council Treasury: I will inform any interested students, by publishing a monthly financial report showing the situation of the Student Council funds.
This will be presented on the student council notice board. This will be very helpful in order for you to know that your money is always in safe hands. In this report I will be informing you about the profits from all events, the donations to charities and the balance of the Student Council funds. - Bring the Student Council close to the students: I will constantly seek input and feedback from you on financial matters. I will even be available during recess, in evenings or weekends, in person, on the phone or over email, for any student who would like to speak with me and give me his/her questions, ideas, and suggestions. I know that surveys may irritate you, so I will try to avoid them except for when we have major issues to decide on. - New sources of funding: I will try my best to increase the funds of the Student Council by finding more sponsors (within ISL policies) or other fundraising ideas. Having more funds will allow us to host more entertaining social events and more meaningful charity events. Can you imagine, the difference you could make in the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves by allowing me to turn my ideas into actions?
My Pledge: I am certain that all of you want a trustworthy, objective, and prudent Treasurer and I assure you that I will fulfill your expectations. I also commit to you that I will implement the ideas I am promising you. I am not only being elected Treasurer, but also a Student Council member who will be able to shape all the Student Council discussions and decisions. I will be your loyal servant and strive with all my best to make the Student Council the best that ISL ever had.
Other Candidates Isabella Kiker is running unopposed for Student Council Secretary
Beth Rennie is running unopposed for Student Council Events and Communications Officer
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Middle School President Liam de Pauw
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i, my name is Liam. You might have seen me running around the recess area with posters and my friends yelling “VOTE LIAM FOR PRESIDENT!” So, I am incredibly hyped up about wanting to be the president. I am in year 7 and I have had 2 years of experience with the student council. I am very musical as I play drums (partially, but not really) and electric guitar and I take part in Jam Nation and Rockzombies. I am also participating in the battle of the bands. Enough about me. I would like to be president because I can stay focused and I am confident at times. I am polite and I answer all my questions truthfully and honestly. I can also be trusted. “Don’t be hesitant, vote Liam for president” is my slogan. I care for others and I am a good influence on other people. I started advertising around 2 weeks earlier, which most people probably saw. “Liam is honest and is focused and takes ideas and creates them into real life projects; he also had a few years of experience in StuCo” -Andres Reinartz. “Liam takes ideas and creates them and whatever it is, he will try the best to make it happen.” -Jack Spinks. Thank you to Jack Spinks and John Yazbeck for their support and their making this campaign possible and really great. Thank you to Rokas Garsva, Micah Kwan for really the cool posters. Oh, and Don’t be hesitant, vote Liam for president.
Rebeca Ravara
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i! I’m Rebeca Castelo Branco Ravara. Yes I’m Portuguese, and yes I have a long name. But that doesn’t change anything about me...c’mon don’t be racist! Anyway, I have been at ISL for the past 4 ½ years and this is my first year being a Student Council representative. And let’s just say that I love being able to share my ideas with you, and basically everyone else! I’m also new to Middle School, so it would be a great memory of my first year in Middle School! Apart from me being the smallest girl in all of secondary. Or should I say smallest person because, once again, yes, it’s true. I’m very sociable, so if you want to, you can totally ask me anything! ;) I love people and I love not being bored so having a lot of work is not a problem. At all...plz not a lot of work. But….I can dedicate most of my time for work! Because that’s what I would do to ISL! I love drawing, writing, reading, talking blah blah blah. That stuff is not really important but what matters is that I love ISL and I would do anything for it. Even if it meant my life! Well, maybe not but I would do a lot for it. I won’t make any promises but I can say that I’ll try my best. And that’s what matters. Vote Rebeca for Middle School President.
Alex Gontkovic
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y name is Alex Gontkovic and I am running for the Middle School President. I want to be the Middle School President because I think that I am a great candidate for it. I want to be the Middle School President because of the way I am and the things I can do for all of us. I stay calm under pressure and whatever comes my way, I always find a solution to a problem or a way how to help someone in need of it. The point of being the Middle School President is to communicate different ideas of the Middle School Students to the STUCO. I promise to do this because I know what is worrying all of us. I have a lot of experience in being in the Student Council as I have already been active there. I have communicated a lot of ideas to the STUCO executive team and I have already done 3 service activities per semester this year. I am a smart and intelligent person who always be there for all of you to communicate different ideas to those who can make them happen. Let me give you just a couple of examples of what I am going to start discussing with the Student Council: Things I would like to propose are: main meals to have a separate price (like the deserts and the salads). This is because of many us like to get the main meal only and the separation would make the things clearer and more correct (and also cheaper). I would also love to - finally - introduce a free wi-fi for all students and parents in the school, without any limitations (time) and inconveniences (change in passwords). I would also love to do more things for all of us and would be very open to your ideas and views. I believe ISL has a real chance of being the most modern, advanced and happy school of the 21st century in Switzerland, and I am ready to guard your views and support into this direction.
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Middle School Vice President Lukas Merkel
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nce I was seven years old, my mamma told me, Go make yourself some friends or you’ll be lonely. Once I was seven years old. It is a big world, but I thought I was bigger. Pushed by my father to the limits, he taught me to be quicker. By eleven a member as a Stu-co class rep helping children that were weaker. Once I was eleven years old, my daddy told me, Go and be involved more in the school or you’ll be lonely. Once I was eleven years old. I always had that dream like my daddy before me So I started to write a speech, I started thinking deeper Something about that glory, just always seemed to cheer me, Cause what I really love is to make this school better. Now I am twelve years old, my speech gets true,
and I am here to apply as your junior vice Now I am twelve years old. I only see my goals, I don’t believe in failure. Cause I know the smallest voices, they can make it major. I have my friends with me that support me, And if we don’t see before I leave, I hope to see you later. Soon I will be 20 years old, I will be proud I will write about everything, I saw before Once I will be 20 years old. I’m still learning about life You come up with thoughts and ideas So I can bring them to the board And I can tell them problems Most of my friends are with me Some are still out seeking confidence And some I have always around Will help me with my competence Remember life and then your life becomes a better one I made a boy so happy when I helped him once Now it is your turn and make me happy.
Sofia Cornu
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ello, my name is Sofia Cornu and I am running for Vice President of Middle School. I love sports and school in general. Whether it’s gymnastics, or netball, or swimming, or badminton, I like it all the same, and that is one of the reasons I am going for this position. Because I think that this school has so many opportunities, and I want to improve that as much as I can. I already have prior experience with the Student Council as I have been my classroom representative throughout the entire year. Also, I have always thoroughly enjoyed the events that ISL organizes for both primary and secondary and I want to make them become as good and enjoyable as possible for everyone who participates. This is my
third year at ISL and I have had the privilege of participating in quite a lot of the school’s events, therefore giving me the opportunity to think of ways to improve them. However, you can help too. I’m sure all of you have great ideas for ISL events that could completely enhance this school, and I will help you bring these into the Student Council. Your ideas can make this school even better. Because it’s not just my opinion that counts. It’s you, as the heart of ISL, who can make these and other events better for everyone. There is so much that this school gives us, whether it’s activities, events, or just the educational advantages it has, that I want to give back as much as I possibly can. And I am sure that you do too.
Soon I’ll be 13 years old, will I think the school is great Or will I still improve what is worth to work on. Once I was seven years old… Vote Lukas Merkel as your new Junior School Vice President
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MS Events & Communications Hi guys! I’m Chloe in 7AS, and I’m running for Middle School Events and Communications Officer. It’s been quite a while that I’ve been trying to be on the Student Council, ever since Year 4, my second year at ISL. Sadly, I’ve never made it, but every year I get closer, and this year actually, I was the substitute for any of our missing class representatives, which I was quite happy about, but I felt that I could still do better. Which is why I’m running for Events and Communications Officer for Middle School. All I want to achieve if I make it is just to make a change, and make people at ISL happy. I want to make sure that their events posters look so intriguing that they feel like they need to go to that event. And, as some of my friends know, I love parties or fun events. If ever I have to help plan one… you bet it’s gonna be a great one! I’m serious. I also want to be able to alert and remind all of you, whenever there is a fun
event going down. I was told to run for this position because apparently, I was good at reminding and alerting people - especially at Wacky Week, when I helped organise all our meetings and rehearsals. But, of course, I won’t be doing all of it alone. If I make it into office, I will not take that in stride and be like; “Oh I’m the boss, and you must all listen to me, and nope, I don’t need no help, I’m independent.” because… that isn’t how to be a good leader. I have so many friends who can and have been a great help for me, and could help me make my position even better, by helping me make posters, or helping me with my presentations in assemblies, and maybe even making a little comedy (I’m talking about some people in particular) in some cases! A good leader is one who can manage to include everyone, and who can work both independently and with help. I was recommended for this position by many, many people; both teachers and other classmates, and especially by my
Sophia Temperley
Find the names of the candidates
Chloe Uzoukwu
Sophia is also running for Middle School Events and Communications Officer.
best friends.. I really hope that you all will let me become your Middle School Events and Communications Officer If you want your events to come alive, vote Chloe, and your events will fly sky high.Vote Chloe for Events and Communications Officer! Lighten up your year.