2023 SU Junior Caucus Endorsements and Coverage

Alexander Panas & Andy Xian

DYNAMIC: Panas and Xian have been friends since their freshman year of high school. The two have worked closely together within student government and have become very close friends because of their shared passion for representing the student body. In addition to having prominent roles in their respective middle school student governments, both have plenty of experience to offer within Stuyvesant. Panas was a member of the SU External Affairs Department in freshman year and served as chief of staff for the sophomore caucus this year, while Xian was caucus co-president in both his freshman and sophomore years. Due to their ample experience not only in student government but with each other, Panas and Xian build upon each other well and know how to allocate their responsibilities effectively. Their close work and personal relationships make for a strong pair to adequately represent the junior student body. 

PLATFORM: The Panas-Xian platform has a heavy focus on helping the junior year build a sense of community and relieve stress through events and advice for the future. They plan to provide course, elective, and SAT/ACT guides to help juniors prepare academically. In addition, Panas-Xian plans to help juniors prepare for their future beyond Stuyvesant, including careers and internships. This includes the “So You Want To Be A…” series that highlights specific careers, career presentations with guest speakers, guides on resume building and cover letters, and advice on applying to internships. Though their platform focuses on career building, Panas-Xian also understands the stress of junior year and plans to hold multiple events where juniors can relax and have fun. This includes a Halloween dance, theater night, junior Olympics, JProm, and more. They realize the difficulty of hosting all of these events, whether it be communicating with the administration or acquiring enough funding, and will prioritize events based on the student body’s interest.

OVERALL REVIEW: Panas and Xian have the experience needed for running junior caucus. As former chief of staff and co-president of caucus, they know how to accomplish their tasks and how to effectively delegate work. While the majority of events have been done before, this promotes practicality compared to other tickets’ proposed unrealistic events. Panas-Xian realizes the difficulty of accomplishing all of their plans and will prioritize the ones that the student body believes are the most important. Panas and Xian show their passion to help the junior body through their constant participation in student government, from middle to high school. That passion and experience fuel them into helping the junior body succeed, whether it be in the short or long term. Thus, The Spectator endorses this ticket.

Grace Rhee & Josephine Yoo

DYNAMIC: Rhee and Yoo have been friends since before their freshman year and have complementary qualities. Both of them enjoy working with one another very much, which is essential in ensuring no conflicts in decision-making and the overall functioning of the caucus. Rhee has been involved in both Freshman and Sophomore Caucus and oversaw their inner workings, while Yoo has prior experience managing similar organizations. Both of them are passionate about creating policies that can truly benefit the student body and have common perspectives on what they want to achieve for the rising junior class. However, both seem to have a plethora of other commitments, such as their involvement in sports teams and musical instruments, which may hinder their commitment to their roles as junior caucus presidents.

PLATFORM: 

The Yoo-Rhee platform is perfectly detailed and concise. The ticket is presented in an extremely neat manner and contains enough information for us to understand their goals and what they are campaigning for. In contrast to other platforms that are overloaded with filler events and policies, this campaign is organized with a timeline of events for how to execute each plan. Yoo-Rhee focuses on cabinet structure and reform, college readiness, JProm, themed events, providing resources, and setting goals in a structured manner, resulting in realistic standards.
OVERALL REVIEW:

Yoo and Rhee are close friends and experienced leaders who are highly dedicated to giving rising juniors the best experience possible. Both are motivated, achieving individuals with realistic goals for next year. They aspire to introduce several events, including a homecoming semi-formal and formal art exhibition, using previous external connections to coordinate each event. They also plan to fundraise for JProm and coordinate with the Parents’ Association to provide financial aid to students. However, due to their high commitments in other areas of focus, The Spectator does not endorse this ticket.

Ryan Radwan & Aditya Anand

DYNAMIC: Radwan and Anand have known each other since the start of their Stuyvesant careers, meeting in the math team during freshman year. They have worked together a lot during their first two years, creating the StuyCast club together, directing departments of SING!, and having experience in the sophomore caucus. Radwan and Anand are committed to working together and complementing various aspects of themselves and are striving to represent their student body next year. 

PLATFORM: The Radwan-Anand ticket has built its platform around policy, office, welfare, events, and reliability (P.O.W.E.R). While in office, they hope to make many aspects of Stuyvesant life easier for juniors with efforts to spread awareness about mental health by improving homeroom activities, revamping the junior atrium, and addressing flaws within the student caucus system, as they plan to allow caucus members promotions and apply for positions twice a year. They also have many different ideas for junior events such as a junior Family Feud, a cross-cultural holiday scavenger hunt, and more. They hope that these events will unify the juniors and prove to be fun de-stressers. 

OVERALL REVIEW: Radwan and Anand have ample experience in leadership positions; however, their vague initiatives and policies prohibit their platform from being unique or innovative. Radwan-Anand has a lot of general policy goals that revolve around strengthening the bond of the junior class and “giving power to the student’s voices.” While their platform utilizes positive and eye-catching policies, the pair ultimately fail to describe how they will materialize these lofty ideas. Rising juniors can feel safe in the hands of two experienced, friendly leaders, but should ultimately be wary of their vague platform and policies. Thus, The Spectator does not endorse this ticket.