By Sara Greenberg
As the race for Student Body President continues, it can be very overwhelming to decide which candidate to select. Therefore, The Lions Roar has asked each of the presidential candidates some questions to help give you a better understanding of who you will be voting for. Their responses were as follows:
What inspired you to run for president of student government?
Daniel Lampert
I really, really love working on Student Government. In ninth grade, I would never have imagined myself being on Student Government, much less running for Student Body President. However, since I started last year, I have come to love it. I didn’t know that I had any ability or platform to improve this school, and knowing that now, I would not be okay leaving Schechter without having done everything I could have to ensure its short-term and long-term success. I’m running for Student Body President because I know I can and will do everything in my power to achieve that goal.
Jessica Baden
What inspired me was probably hearing other students’ input on the school and seeing how we could actually make a difference.
Adam Shinder
I have thought about running for President since freshman year. I was very involved in Student Government as Freshman Representative and I loved everything about it. I loved thinking up events and projects I could start, executing them, talking with the administration, volunteering, and everything in between. People started asking me if I was going to run for President and at first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to and the decision seemed so far away. As time went on, I thought more and more about how large of an impact I could have as President and so, here I am today.
How are you planning on bettering our school?
Daniel Lampert
I plan on bettering our school in a variety of ways. One of the big things I want to focus on is further strengthening the Schechter Community. More grade-wide Shabbat Dinners would be amazing, and more ways to meet people in different grades would really give people a platform to meet more of the incredible people in our school. I also want to improve communication between Student Government and the student body. Aidan has done an amazing job with the transparency of Student Government, and I want to work to hear the Student Body’s thoughts on Student Government initiatives. Just a Google Form following things like Homecoming or ShavRuach would do the trick. I don’t want to say everything I have planned because there is more to come in my speech!
Jessica Baden
I plan on bettering our school by enhancing the community aspect and making sure that everybody has a voice and a say.
Adam Shinder
Schechter is truly an incredible school with an administration that cares about the students and wants to see the school succeed. With the administration’s support, it makes it easier for us to grow developmentally as a student body. I believe that change is cultivated in Student Government and sprouts out to the whole school. Student Government for too long has been led by a small group of dedicated people. Though this is fine, we aren’t utilizing the full power of Student Government members and student body. We are limiting our potential when we do this. We need a wave of inspired leaders that want to make a change. I’m going to hold brainstorming sessions and constantly reach out to all Student Government members, set up meetings to personally help people with their projects and much more to help grow the next wave of leaders. The growth that Student Government will experience will trickle into the entire school, guaranteed.
If you could accomplish one thing as President, what would it be and how would you go about accomplishing it?
Daniel Lampert
I would want to have another event as powerful as the “Open Minds” Summit was. There are so many possible topics that we could explore that could be as impactful. We have the momentum from this year’s, so next year we will be all the more knowledgeable and prepared to tackle such a huge undertaking. We can start preparing earlier and have a full team set up from the get-go to plan it. I really think it changed people’s lives, and as Student Body President, I want to continue to strive to do that.
Jessica Baden
I am only here for one more year so I would want to leave an impact that would last beyond my time at Schechter and set a path for the future.
Adam Shinder
If I had to choose ONLY one thing I would accomplish, it would be getting every student truly involved in the school. Schechter shouldn’t only be the place you have to come to learn, but a place you look forward to coming to. I envision that freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors will all be friends with one another, and people will be open to meeting new people and helping each other. There will be more inter-grade programs and events, a big siblings program instituted in the high school, and many more programs geared towards bringing people together. This will all grow from Student Government and though this idea may seem unrealistic, Nelson Mandela said; “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” This idea is far from impossible.
If you were a wrestler what would be your entrance theme song?
Daniel Lampert
“Mo Bamba”. No, in all seriousness, there’s no chance I would ever make it as a wrestler, so I’m not even going to try here.
Jessica Baden
“Fruit Salad” by the Wiggles.
Adam Shinder
I’d walk out to the song “Eye of the Tiger” with six people in a V formation behind me. They all hold up their fists in a victory position while two of them carry my Wrestling World Championship Belts. I wear a robe that says SHINDER in big, green and white letters on the back and the crowd goes wild.
