2020-2021 SGA PRESIDENTIAL ENDORSEMENT - VEDANT GARG

BY DEVIL’S ADVOCATE STAFF I MAY 21, 2020

The Devil’s Advocate endorses Vedant Garg as the Student Government Association President for the 2020–2021 school year. Garg is the most qualified candidate, and has a proven track record of delivering on his promises. Additionally, his campaign platform includes several policy proposals which, if implemented, would improve the school and student life. 

In his three years as class of 2021 vice president, he has proven to be a competent and able leader. Garg helped lead the Class of 2021 to four consecutive pep rally wins and helped plan events such as Prom. More importantly, he has spearheaded the effort to organize volunteering events, such as Relay for Life, a successful American Cancer Society fundraiser that Garg plans to expand from the Class of 2021 to the entire student body.

Garg’s proposals are grounded in reality rather than being lofty and unachievable. During a May 16 debate, Garg said, “All the ideas I have for this year are very practical. They don’t require many funds; everything in my platform is realistic and achievable.” In his platform, Garg promises to have students vote on spirit days, move winter formal to a new venue, expand relay for life participation, hold another voter registration day, plan a job fair for students, and have an esports tournament. These specific and realistic proposals are refreshing and stand out against the usual vague proposals such as “improve communication,” and “more student involvement.” 

By building on past successes and implementing new ideas, Garg will be able to improve student life. Another voter registration day will allow more students to participate in the 2020 election, while a job fair would give students an opportunity to learn from local business leaders and start them on a path toward their ideal careers. Increasing participation in volunteer events and giving students a choice in spirit days will make students feel more included in the Stanton community. And if Garg manages to organize an esports tournament, it would rally school round Stanton’s state champion esports team at a time when physical sports may not return for some time.

Making promises is one thing, but keeping those promises is a much more difficult task. As a practical matter, student government is not very powerful, and SGA officers have long struggled to follow through and implement their ideas. If Garg’s campaign platform simply becomes another list of unkept commitments, the voters will hold it against him. But if Garg succeeds, his candidacy has the potential to move the office of SGA President from a popularity contest into a meaningful, results oriented position.   

Garg has touted his longtime friendship with presumptive senior class President Gokul Madathil, claiming their close relationship will help them get things done. If anyone can accomplish what Garg has proposed, it could well be Garg himself. He has the right demeanor and attitude to not only represent the school, but improve it. For these reasons, the Devil’s Advocate endorses Vedant Garg for SGA President. 

2020-2021 SGA VICE PRESIDENTIAL ENDORSEMENT - ANN SIA

BY DEVIL’S ADVOCATE STAFF I MAY 21, 2020

The Devil’s Advocate endorses the candidate, Ann Sia, for the position of Student Government Association (SGA) vice president for the 2020-2021 school year. The unopposed candidate strives to utilize this position to uphold her personal values of maintaining communication, school unity through Ubuntu, and promoting open-mindedness among the student population. The experience Sia has gained through her previous leadership positions and passion for contributing to the success of Stanton College Preparatory School has encouraged her to run for SGA vice president.

Sia’s qualifications to be SGA vice president are solidified with her experience of holding leadership positions in various organizations and clubs in the school. She has been the Class of 2021’s treasurer for three consecutive years, Stanton Kind Project’s treasurer, one of the leaders for the Chinese Traditional group under Multicultural Club, and Stanton Medical Society’s vice president. Her involvement in these organizations has strengthened her passion for leading a larger group of individuals to success and instilling confidence in them.

Sia’s plans for the upcoming school year include promoting a welcoming atmosphere that fosters growth in students. She plans to establish an achievement system that publicly acknowledges the feats and goals students have accomplished. She also places an emphasis on the importance of mental health week at Stanton. Sia wants to reduce the stigma that is associated with mental health and improve on creating an environment that allows students to address their issues while improving participation in the week’s events.

In addition to developing an atmosphere that emphasizes individual recognition, Sia strives to strengthen the unity between the four classes through SGA. Although class and student competition is emphasized in pep rallies or class rank, Sia wants to dissolve these differences with projects that require the participation of all four classes while offering their assistance to each other. She hopes to continue the Class of 2020’s idea of creating a consolidated platform that contains resources to use when studying for Advanced Placement (AP) exams. She believes that this will promote more collaboration between the classes and the exchange of knowledge from upperclassmen to lowerclassmen. 

As SGA vice president, Sia not only plans to have her efforts extended to Stanton’s student population, but she also hopes to create a lasting impact individually. She wants students to be able to discover their distinct passions through volunteering instead of seeking to log hours for Florida Bright Futures Scholarships. By publicizing volunteer opportunities through SGA, Sia hopes students will be able to discover their own ways of contributing to their communities.

When being elected as SGA vice president, Sia will also acknowledge the challenges she will need to face if the student population does not support her decisions. She plans on resolving these conflicts and disagreements by maintaining communication through platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Remind. She gives priority to the majority and would be willing to accommodate her plans while ensuring that she leads them to success. 

Sia also expresses that her position as SGA vice president should not interfere with her identity as a student in the school’s student population and someone to consult for support. Behind these plans and ambitions is a Stanton student who is devoted to creating a more unified entity and recognizing the potentials that students can achieve. By upholding her responsibilities as SGA vice president while continuing to find ways to contribute to her peers’ success, this supports the Devil’s Advocate’s decision to endorse Ann Sia to be the SGA vice president for the 2020-2021 school year.