FRESHMAN CLASS PRESIDENT JAY VERMA
BY TY’HANA ALDRIDGE | SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 | FEATURES
The Freshman class of 2024 has elected Jay Verma as their 2020-2021 class president. In a debate held on Sept. 5, Verma expressed his plans to lead the class of 2024 successfully during this unusual school year. Now that he is elected, what will happen to these plans and promises the class of 2024 are expecting?
It’s not surprising to see candidates for political positions propose unrealistic ideas in an effort to win more votes only for those plans to go unrealized once they are elected. Verma, however, did quite the opposite in the Freshman Class President debate. He laid out fairly realistic plans such as offering more volunteer opportunities, holding contests for those with the most school spirit, and communicating regularly with the class through social media sites. Early in the school year, it is hard to predict if Verma is overly optimistic with these plans, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The main goal Verma is working to fulfill this year is communicating regularly with students and building class unity. Along with many other students, he is currently attending school through Duval HomeRoom. With their president enrolled virtually, it could be difficult for students to connect with Verma. Verma emphasized he is planning to make a Teams channel, post polls on Instagram, and set up a class Remind. Even with all these plans in effect, it may not be enough to ensure he is able to achieve this goal. Still, Verma could turn to the alternative of returning to school physically to provide a face-to-face connection with his fellow freshman. Doing this could increase the chances of the class coming together as one as students would be able to communicate one-on-one with their president.
In his campaign video, Verma mentioned the goal of hosting contests, such as offering rewards for the student with the most class spirit. The amount of students on campus will increase as students begin attending school through brick-and-mortar. Hosting contests comes with the difficulty of the president not seeing students physically, making it harder to find the winner. So far, freshmen have not been able to fully enjoy the Stanton experience due to guidelines requiring them to stay socially distant apart during school activities.
As a freshman, Verma has been able to grow his campaign through connections with many Stanton students, mostly upperclassmen. Although he has no experience in running a political campaign, he expressed that he has learned from his brother, Stanton alumni Vatsal Nath. Verma had multiple endorsements, including Nath, class of 2023 Historian Denise Soriano, current Miss Stanton Sweetheart Emily Blizzard, and current SGA Treasurer Edison Tran. It is impressive for a freshman to have a variety of connections to Stanton, but it raises the question of whether his election was solely based on popularity and connections or the freshman class believing he shows commitment to the campaign. Even with many connections and recognition, it is still not guaranteed that Verma will fulfill his promises to the class of 2024.
High expectations are set for Verma as he prepares to lead the freshman class throughout the school year. The Devil’s Advocate wishes Verma the best of luck in his new role as Freshman Class President. The Stanton community is eager to see what the class of 2024 achieves during this unconventional school year.