Alice Ju Nabs Top Student Council Spot

Upper Alice Ju and lowers Emily Lemmerman and Benj Cohen were elected as Student Council (StuCo) President, Vice President and Secretary, respectively, finalizing StuCo’s Executive Board for the next school year.

552 students cast their ballots in the Tuesday election, yielding a 52.4 percent voter turnout, according to current StuCo President Max Freedman. Ju is the first female Asian StuCo president and second female president in Academy history. The turnover also marked the first time the Academy has had both a female president and vice president.

Historic female leadership

Principal Tom Hassan acknowledged the presence of female leadership in the new board. "The fact that Alice and Emily were elected speaks first and foremost to their qualifications for the offices, as well as to the compelling work ethic both of them have exhibited while serving as members of the Student Council," he said. "I was gratified to see these two strong girls on the slate of candidates and am glad that they were recognized as such by their peers."

He also highlighted the continued effort of the Academy in reaching gender equality in politics. "In the past, I have mentioned my concern that girls haven't been as visible as candidates as boys have been, and I was happy that when Governor Hassan spoke to our students she highlighted the essential place for women in politics here at Exeter and on the national and local level," he said. "I also think efforts by some on campus, especially Max Freedman, aimed at increasing the awareness of this issue will benefit Exeter and eventually our country."

"The newly selected board is very charismatic, dedicated and driven, and I have more confidence in their abilities than in recent years."

Ju prepared to start her new job as the Council’s President upon hearing the news. "The first thing I thought of when the results were announced was how to get started on our plans," Ju said. "The student body elected me for a reason, and now it’s time for me to do my job."

Policy reform is Ju's first step

Ju’s first step includes reforming policies such as visitations, which will involve "a lot of conversation" with the deans, faculty and student body, according to Ju. "I want to emphasize that we want to work with, not against, the faculty, and we’re always open to suggestions and criticisms," she said. "The most important thing to me is finding a compromise that will benefit the entire Exeter community, and all I can ask of the students and faculty is that we are all willing to listen to each other and work together. "

Student Council’s faculty advisor Carol Cahalane was thrilled to work with the new Executive Board. "I would have been excited to work with any combination of the six, and I think this is an impressive and exciting team," Cahalane said. "I would like to see the Exec Board utilize the skills and talents of the entire Council and to listen carefully to the ideas of the Council and building upon them."

Ju, Lemmerman and Cohen have previously worked together in StuCo, collaborating in the Student Activities Commission and planning Monday’s "Thanking Staff" concert.

"We’ve been a team informally until now because we really care about StuCo together, and it’s exciting that we can be the official team working for StuCo now that we are in Exec Board," Cohen said.

"I’m excited to work with Alice and Benj as a team because we already work well together," Lemmerman said. "I don’t think we need any real transition time and can jump right into working as an Exec Board, especially with Alice’s experience as Secretary."

An "undying passion for Council"

Freedman described Ju, who currently holds the position of Student Council Secretary, as a "sensational" person to work with. On Lemmerman and Cohen, he said, "Benj and Emily bring a sense of verve and excitement to everything they do all the time, and they have an undying passion for Council, and I think that they will make up a great Executive Board."

Cohen highlighted dedication as another one of the most important characteristics that the new board should embody. "The key is having three really dedicated members, which this year’s Exec Board, with Max, Joon and Alice, was blessed to have, and I think we are really lucky to have that once again this year," Cohen said. "We’re here for one goal; we’re here to accomplish tasks for our school—that’s why we’re here, and that’s why we ran."

Overall, students were optimistic about the results of the StuCo elections and about the future of the Council. "In recent history, the Council hasn’t done too much, as far as large changes in policy," upper Angus Gorman said. "However, this year, all the campaigns have promised large changes, from V’s to DC, and I do think that this board can carry some of those out. The newly selected board is very charismatic, dedicated and driven, and I have more confidence in their abilities than in recent years."

Upper TJ Hodges, the runner-up presidential candidate, agreed. "I am extremely confident in our new executive board, and especially excited to see what things they will accomplish next year," Hodges said. "I will definitely continue to serve the student body through Council in every way possible; losing an election doesn’t prevent that."