Preps Elect Cai, Holtz, Kim as Class Representatives

This Tuesday, the class of 2023 elected Tony Cai, Charlie Holtz and David Kim as prep representatives in Student Council.

Student Council president and senior Ayush Noori emphasizes the role prep reps hold in connecting the prep community to Student Council. “Prep reps are the mouthpiece for the prep class. They're responsible for communicating Council decisions and the outcome of Council meetings to their classmates, advocating for preps in Council meetings and voicing feedback from their peers,” he said.

Secretary and Upper JaQ Lai underscored the value of the perspectives that preps offer. “As students who are experiencing Exeter for the first time … prep reps bring fresh ideas … to council, and often remind us to consider experiences that might already be distant in the memories of older members,” he said.

Student Council Adviser Laura Marshall echoed Lai, noting that preps bring new ideas. “Sometimes, it’s easy to just step into the same patterns that we do all the time, and continue to do things the same way. Sometimes it just takes a question from someone new to say, ‘So why do you do it that way?’ And then people think, ‘Oh, we haven't really thought about it,’” she said.

Holtz’s campaign focused on alleviating student stress, whether by initiatives such as decreasing homework or creating events such as parties. “I think somebody’s got to do it and have the voice to do it,” he said. After hearing the results, Holtz felt able to step into the position. “I feel like I'm ready to represent the entire prep class and I want to get some work done,” he said. 

Kim emphasized his intent to form connections with older council members. “I don’t want to separate us from everyone else,” he explained. “I’m going to connect with lowers, uppers and seniors, and help with their resolutions in StuCo too.”

Meanwhile, Cai wanted to push extensions to check-in time and changes to the V’s policy. “We cannot do too much about this so far, because we are prep reps, but I’m sure that by working with Student Council as a group, we can try to see what we can do and come up with a plan,” he said.

However, upper and former prep rep Yunseo Choi expressed that prep reps should not expect to affect large degrees of change on campus. “Prep reps, realistically, are very short on platform; candidates should know they can’t change the V’s policy. These big things that people put on their posters, [are] just not going to happen,” she said, “I hope that—whoever’s running—can focus on more realistic small ideas.”

Class representatives are responsible for voicing their class’s opinions, voting on proposals and planning events to facilitate student bonding. Last year’s prep reps planned events such as cookies and milk, bubble tea egg hunt, class picnics and created an Instagram account to promote those activities.

This year’s reps have already proposed a prep ice cream social. “There needs to be an occasion where we can gather as a whole class and have fun,” Cai said.

This, however, is the second year in a row with a lack of female representation in the prep rep position. Elections Committee head and senior Serene DeSisso recalled that, in her prep year, only one girl­—senior Mai Hoang—ran. “Although I was elated that Mai would represent us, I remember also wishing that other girls would too. I can imagine that current girl preps feel the same,” she said. “Still, I am extremely proud of the guys that ran for this position and the determination that they showed.”

In order to represent those identities, Cai plans to send out anonymous surveys of preps’ suggestions, similarly to what he did during his campaign, where he received around 100 responses. “Representation is where you collect ideas from individuals,” he said.

Elections are typically located in the Elizabeth Phillips Commons, where Student Council members run the preps’ electronic voting. This year, the Elections committee added an additional booth in Elm during lunch for the purpose of increasing voter turnout. “As someone who has lived on South Side for my entire four years, I appreciate the comfort of being able to stay on South Side while still being involved with Student Council,” DeSisso explained. Last year, prep rep elections had a 53 percent turnout; this percentage was the highest out of any Student Council election last year, but the committee is still working to increase voter turnout.

For lower and former prep rep Otto Do, the most lasting impact of being a prep rep was his strong connection with his class. “From events, some people showed up who I never knew, but I started talking to these new people, just getting their names and chatting. Small communications helped me get to know people,” he said.

Kim recognizes this. “I hope to advance preps while respecting seniors and, knowing my position, I know that I'll be mostly helping other people in StuCo to push their agenda,” he said.

Ninth grade coordinator Tyler Caldwell, meanwhile, has worked with prep reps to organize and publicize prep events, and recognizes the value of the goals they are able to achieve. “The work of the prep rep is particularly important because they help set the tone for the year as the class attempts to figure out their collective identity or the type of community they would like to foster,” he says. “I am sure every candidate will bring something unique and helpful to our work no matter who is elected.”