NMS Voters Elect This Year’s Student Council

By Eliza Hallabeck

Contenders for Newtown Middle School’s president, vice president, spokesperson, and treasurer Student Council positions for the 2011-12 academic year went head to head on Friday, October 7, when they took to the stage in the school’s auditorium to give speeches before their fellow NMS students.

Vying for the position of president were Evan DeGirolamo, Katie Mossbarger, Luke Reppucci, and Haley Williams. Kevin Arther and Robert Hutchins ran for the position of vice president. Ajené Arokium and Aysha Hafiz ran for spokesperson. Candidates for the position of treasurer were Tyler Dullinger, Caitlin Moss, Will Sandercox, and Amanda Walsh.

As Nadia Papalia, a teacher at NMS and one of the Student Council’s advisors, said to the assembled student audience before the last round of speeches on Friday, making it to the final round of the Student Council campaign process was not an easy task for any of the 12 students. Each student attended an informal meeting, submitted an application for their desired position, and was interviewed by Ms Papalia, Tina Broccolo, and Linda Dale Mulholland before they could run.

After multiple assemblies were held, to allow each student at the school on Friday the chance to hear the students speak, students returned to their classrooms and voted for the 2011-12 Student Council representatives.

At the end of the day on Friday, according to Ms Mulholland, this year’s Student Council officers are: Katie Mossbarger, president; Robert Hutchins, vice president; Aysha Hafiz, spokesperson; and Will Sandercox, treasurer.

Each position on the Student Council has its on role to perform. The president, for example, must be an eighth grader who will be responsible for overseeing the group’s meeting under advisor supervision. The president must also implement service projects and school functions, and will assist advisors with administrative duties.

When giving her speech, Katie said she believes she has multiple qualities that will make her a good leader, including the ability to work well with others.

“If elected,” she said, “I will do my best to bring new ideas to this school.”

Katie also finished her speech with a slogan, “For a bright year, vote Kate Mossbarger for president.”

Katie also served as the vice president of Student Council last school year. For Robert, Aysha, and Will, this will be the first school year serving with NMS’s Student Council.

Future plans for the Student Council include beautifying the school this month for fall and overseeing a schoolwide food drive from the end of October to the middle of November.