[JSR] The Elections Must Go On!

DECA members listen to candidates’ speeches during the online elections via ZOOM. [Source: Sabrina Mo]

“The show must go on.”

Sabrina Mo, Grade 9 North Hollywood HGM High School

Due to the drastic shifts in Angeleno lives caused by COVID-19, schools, businesses, and individuals have been forced to come up with creative ways to adjust. Because in-person contact is no longer an option to communicate with others, online platforms such as Zoom meetings and Google Hangouts have become very popular and heavily depended on. They are often used for business meetings, family check-ins, and classes for students, but it doesn’t stop there for NHHS, North Hollywood High School.

Like many other high schools, clubs play a big role in making NHHS the school it is today. Club presidents and student bodies have resorted to taking advantage of online platforms in order to keep their clubs running. As a result, student elections have been taking place through Zoom meetings. Additionally, students are utilizing the Internet and social media to promote candidates and to encourage others to vote.

A few weeks ago, DECA, a NOHO business club, conducted its first-ever online election as candidates read their speeches live and were asked follow-up questions by the rest of the club. Despite doing this for the first time, our DECA leaders did everything they could to run the election as smoothly as possible. They thought out this process meticulously and categorized candidates’ speeches into different days to evenly distribute election times throughout the week. This way, DECA members wouldn’t be burdened by the amount of time they would need to dedicate to the elections and would be more encouraged to contribute to the club’s future.

Not only do clubs benefit from online elections, but students have also voiced the benefits they received by utilizing the internet to continue club plans. DECA member Clarissa Uytiepo said, “It makes me happy that I have a community where we still do these online meetings, because being in quarantine can become really lonely. Seeing all my friends again and hosting these elections gives me a sense of normalcy during all this chaos.”

Despite the chaos, ASB president candidate Sarah Lee encourages students to vote by utilizing social media and sharing her virtual flyers! [Source: Sarah Lee]

Recent times definitely aren’t easy; the entire world is in the middle of an unprecedented crisis, and most citizens don’t know what will happen next. Despite the struggles, students are putting their efforts together to maintain the “normalest” school life they can during this time. Yes, it is weird that classes are being held through computer screens, and yes, it is unnerving that masks have become the new normal. But, one thing that hasn’t changed is the school community. Even from home, school faculty and students are utilizing every resource they can get their hands on in order to continue prearranged school plans, such as classes and club elections.

Although this isn’t the way students imagined spending the majority of their second semester of the school year, it is amazing to see how far we, as a group, have come, in terms of adapting to these novel circumstances and seeing that the show will indeed still go on.