Upon the announcement that Eleni Kontokosta ’25 and Isaiah Stephens ’25 would be the next all-school presidents, the student body raised the question of whether or not the election was fair.
While the other five candidate pairs delivered presidential speeches in Walker Auditorium during an all-school meeting, Stephens and Kontokosta were the only pair who presented via video, sharing a high-quality, meticulously edited video by Warren Edwards ’27.
The video was initially received with applause; however, subsequently, it also stirred up controversy, with many students claiming the recording provided an unfair advantage for Stephens and Kontokosta.
Yes, the impressive video, in and of itself, immediately set the pair apart from the rest of the pack. And yes, it helps that the video’s production resembled something out of a Hallmark movie.
However, it is unreasonable to blame our future all-school presidents, who were only trying to compensate for Stephens’s absence—he was competing at the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship in Canberra, Australia. It would have been unfair to make Kontokosta go up on the stage alone and deliver the speech on behalf of the pair.
Given Stephens’s absence, the school should have arranged an alternate date for the presidential speeches, so that all six candidates could have presented their speeches on an even playing field.
Of course, it is too late now to change the procedure or the results of the election. Instead, it is time for the community to look to the future and embrace the changes in the upcoming school year.
Lost in students’ concerns about the video is the fact that Kontokosta and Stephens presented realistic and attractive ideas for the 2024-2025 school year.
To remind everyone, Stephens and Kontokosta proposed lake-front renovations, day-time interdorming, welcome-back days, appreciation days, and seasonal pep rallies. These proposals are feasible and innovative, which speaks to the duo’s creativity and commitment to the community.
Granted, Kontokosta and Stephens will eventually have to get on stage during all-school meetings and the community will see how they can perform. But take our word for it: their ability to play the unorthodox hand they were dealt during their campaign bodes well for their leadership skills. The two deserve the school’s full support in navigating the 2024-25 school year.
As the pair said during the election process, “As your all school presidents, we want to approach improving our school by revamping our culture, compassion, and community.” We should join them enthusiastically in this goal.
