On Wednesday, April 29, Marshfield students voted for their 2015-16 ASB officers. Students campaigned to try to win the positions they wanted using t-shirts, candy and posters.
During the spring, student government elections are held for the upperclassmen to see what position they will take in Associated Student Body (ASB). The election process goes as follows: the students must attend a meeting held in the library, get 50 signatures from peers to support them in their intended position and two teacher recommendations.
Current vice president senior Alysen Barker was in charge of the campaigning process this year. The student elections were held on April 29 in the main gym. The candidates were allowed a week to campaign with a limit of 50 dollars to spend for their supplies.
“A lot of the positions [were] appointed,” Barker said. “The only positions that [were] running against each other [were] president and sophomore representative.”
The students that ran for a position no one else was running for received the position by default for the 2015-16 school year. Those are as follows: vice president junior Cameron Trujillo, secretary freshman Erin Nelson, publicist junior Casey King, event coordinator junior Mckenzie Allison, activities coordinator junior Sawyer Heckard, technology coordinator junior Jacob Dub and treasurer sophomore Ian Emlet.
King is currently the junior representative, and next year he will be the publicist. The publicist is responsible for announcements and the PA. King was the only one running, but he campaigned anyway.
“I enjoy it,” King said. “I think showing my effort for my position is better than not.”
Advisor Jennifer Bunnell leads ASB since 2006. The class is held during second period and students must be enrolled in the class to be in student leadership. According to Bunnell, campaigning is an important part of the ASB elections.
“I think campaigning teaches the kids about the democratic process of getting votes,” Bunnell said.
The campaigners hang up posters, make t-shirts and incorporate witty puns into their campaign mottos to persuade people to vote for them. Campaigning started this year on April 22. The campaigners do things ranging from drawings to handing out hot chocolate and cookies. According to junior Carli Clarkson, creative coordinator, it is nerve wracking because when they are handing out bribes, they are putting themselves out there.
“You spend the week winning people’s votes, and it doesn’t always mean you have them but you try,” Clarkson said.
For the upcoming year, junior Jenny Shaffer will be the president. Shaffer campaigned against Clarkson and won. According to the two of them, they did not know who would win because it was a tight race.
“I’ve been in ASB since the second semester of my freshman year,” Schaffer said. “It’s very involving and we do a lot to support the school.”
ASB does activities like selling shaved ice, fun on the field, blood drives and planning school assemblies and dances. According to Bunnell, ASB spends most of their time planning and initiating their plans for the year, and they have a lot of plans for the upcoming one.
“I’m excited to work with the kids next year,” Bunnell said. “It’s a smaller group. We will only have about 14 kids, but they’ll work hard.”
