It’s September, which means it’s election season at Hereford. As with every year, September brings us a new freshman class and with them a new roster of class officers.

On Friday, Sept. 21, candidates from all corners of the class of 2022 competed with rousing speeches before their peers. By the end of the day, the dust had settled and the class officers for the 2018-2019 school year had been decided.

The following students were elected to officer positions: Sophia Rudolph for president, Matt Campbell for vice-president, Parker Knight for secretary, Caroline Sabo for public relations officer and Tessa Janney for class liaison.

Every politician has a story of why they ran for office, and the class of 2022 is no different:

“I really wanted to make a difference for my grade,” Rudolph said. “I also had some ideas for big class events I wanted to throw out there.”

“I wanted to be in a role where [I could] be someone to look to or talk to if anyone needs anything for my grade,” Campbell said.

“I just wanted to get to know people and I think I’ll have fun doing it,” Sabo said.

“I just want to make our class the best it can be, and I think especially given that I’m taking [journalism] that secretary would fit well for me,” Knight said.

“I just really like working with the school and playing a part in the community,” Janney said.
According to class advisor Cynthia Sabo, the class isn’t going to play around and is ready to hit the ground running.

“We’re going to just jump right into it and get their ideas for what they want to do,” Sabo said. “We’re just here to support them.”

“It’s all about getting organized,” Campbell said. “We’re going to be meeting with all the other class officers so that we can get acclimated to our new positions.”

The class of 2022 won’t just have their advisors to support them; officers from the upper classes are ready to offer advice and assistance as well.

“We’ve really been pushing [communication and assistance] over the last two years,” Senior Class President Emma Wallner said. “Our officers are always texting each other and always talking about how to make all of our fundraisers successful.”

“We’re here to help them out and just be a contact if they ever need anyone,” Junior Class President Brooke Wilson agreed.

Most significantly, this election marks the first time each class at Hereford has had a female president; a stark contrast from just four years ago when the field was entirely composed of male presidents.

“I think it’s going to bring a more open conversation regarding certain subjects that haven’t been touched before,” Sophomore Class President Isabella Cavallaro said.

“I’m really excited about this,” Wallner said. “I think it really speaks of the agendas we’ve been pushing in terms of female empowerment and not just for student government, a lot of our clubs are run by women now, particularly in STEM.”

“I’m really excited to see a lot of girls,” Rudolph said. “Though I think regardless we have a lot of equally good leadership [at Hereford].”