As essential as a teacher is to a student, a council is vital to its school. It just so happens that Lambert High School is hosting their officer elections for the Student Government Association on Friday, October 29th.

This school year, Lambert combined two significant clubs, Student Council and Key Club, to create an altogether new association. The Student Government Association, or SGA, is a club that focuses on Lambert school spirit and leadership.  

Students who were a part of some form of student government last year had the chance of submitting an application to run for a leadership position. Out of the multiple applications submitted only two people for each position in each grade were selected.

The selected candidates then started the final selection process where they are now promoting their candidacy by sharing ideas and giving out treats to the student body.

The whole student body is allowed to vote for a candidate who best fits the role they are running for. There are a number of roles within the council, varying from the president of their grade to a diligent secretary. The final voting will start on Friday, October 29. 

“I think of the entire school as just the body, and all the clubs and associations within it are just the limbs, but I think that SGA is the heart of a bigger structure,” Max Chapa, one of the candidates for the position of junior class president, states. 

He also seems to portray a desire for an increase in diversity and inclusion within the school. Chapa states that he believes the group of people that he is running with is unique because of their different cultural backgrounds.

Opposing junior presidential candidate, Sahil Sood, has a clear vision for what the 2021-2022 school year would look like under his leadership.

“School is supposed to be about fun, ” Sood states. “[It’s] not just about try harding APs (Advance Placements) and taking a lot of classes. I think that being able to have a lot of fun events mixed in there and other things that the students actually want to see.” 

Similar to Chapa, Sood also includes a diverse group of students to make up his cabinet. He states that although they were not that close, running together gave them an idea of what the junior student body desires from their student government team instead of a break from their academics. 

While there can only be a select number of people elected for these positions, all candidates are bright individuals, who all have unique motives for wanting to run. 

Former Freshmen Class President, Sophia Zhao, strives to unite the school community through spirit, and give the students a chance to feel at ease. 

“All my life, I wanted something that was so human, so joyful, and I want to bring that to a school that has a reputation of not having that [school spirit,] ” Sophia said. “I think that running for this helped me put my passion for other people to find themselves as well.”

Zhao is not alone in her ideals. Those who are running have something to relate to with the students. The candidates aren’t some mighty figures that consider themselves more prestigious but are empathetic to the situations that many students face.  

Michelle Lee, a senior who is running for president, claims that before joining SGA, she was a girl who would shy away from bold action. 

 “I had trouble making friends freshman year, because I was very to myself,” Lee claimed. “But then, whenever I met people in student council, it brought me more out, which made me want to do that [help] to other people.”  

Lee is putting herself out there, to provide students an experience that changed her life and pay forward the kindness she was shown by past leaders. 

The first year of SGA has proven Lambert is still full of Longhorn Pride. The contestants’ passion and enthusiasm are positively overwhelming and contagious.