Erika Leung, Bella Lehman, and Cate Brown all won positions in the freshman student cabinet this past fall. The Cardinal Times’ Amanda Ngo asked them some questions about their new positions. Their responses are below. 

Amanda Ngo: What made you decide to run for student council (and what made you decide to run for your particular position?)

Erika Leung (EL): I am the freshman Commissioner of Communications, I oversee the freshman social media account (@lhsclass2024 on instagram), create events, and design promotion.

I decided to run to meet new people, get involved in the Lincoln community (especially in a time I felt isolated from it because of the online format), and to use my skills to improve other’s experience.

Bella Lehman (BL):  I am the treasurer for the freshman cabinet. I wanted to run for student council so that I could help this year be an easy transition for all my classmates. I also wanted to help organize fun events for our class and the whole school that would allow us to get to know each other better. I decided to run for treasurer so I can help raise money and deal with fundraising, although those efforts have faltered because of the coronavirus. 

Cate Brown (CB): What made me decide to run for student council was the fact that I wanted to be a leader within Lincoln. I have a passion for connecting with people and I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity for that. In particular, what made me decide to run as vice-president was going to be the people that surrounded me. Bishop Murff (our class president) is one of my best friends. We decided that we could make a change in Lincoln with our collective characteristics, and what better way to do that than run for student government?

What do you hope to accomplish during your time on student council?

EL: My goal is to make Lincoln (even online) fun and exciting for freshmen. It’s been a tough year, so I want to make things like information and events as smooth and accessible as possible.

BL: During this year, I hope to be able to help students make new friends and relationships and strengthen their relationships with each other. I also want to make online school as fun and engaging as possible, while also making sure everyone is comfortable.

CB: I hope to accomplish unity in our freshman class. I feel as though that is the best thing that we can do in times like these. Offering people support, bringing more freshman together, as well as growing collectively as a class are my main goals.

What (if any) complications have arisen due to the online format?

EL: Some complications we’ve seen is trying to promote a sense of community and really reaching out to people. Without seeing our peers in person, people can easily not feel the need to participate and disconnect. 

BL: The main complication for me with the online format is the inability to make strong connections with people. The screen border makes it harder to reach out to other students, and you cannot get to know someone as well.

CB: I think the main complication that has arisen has been connecting. Naturally as humans, we have a need for social interaction and togetherness that we can’t have during this time. Reuniting with friends, striking conversations teachers, school assemblies, Friday night football games, all gone. The freshman experience for me has been online, there’s nothing we can do about it and nothing can change that fact. That is the worst part about being online. 

How is Lincoln different from your past schools?

EL: Lincoln has been very different from my middle school West Sylvan. There is a plethora of more perspectives, resources for different interests, clubs/communities, and pressure to evaluate the future. It’s overwhelming at first, but eye-opening too. 

BL: Lincoln is different from my last schools in the sense of community. Even with everyone being online, I feel like the students and teachers all make an effort to get to know each other and connect. Another big difference is the surplus of classes, electives, and clubs that the school offers, all of which make the school experience more fun.

CB: On a happier note, Lincoln is different from my past schools because of its good-natured, welcoming positive spirit and excellent teachers. Although I’ve only been inside the actual building twice, I know in my heart that Lincoln cares about each and every one of its students. Every day the teachers show up with a smile on their face and “Welcome” once you log in. They are working so hard right now to make this difficult change as smooth as possible in their own unique ways.