ASB presidential candidate Uma Veerappan shared her main goals for ASB next year, which included increasing ASB transparency and communication with the student body.
– Hannah Kim
Four days before student body elections, the Associated Student Body presidential candidates spoke about their qualifications and visions for the new school year at the a debate session hosted by The Paly Voice during Tutorial, Thursday.
During the debate, juniors Uma Veerappan and Tremaine Kirkman, both running for ASB President, focused on school dances and prom.
Veerappan stated that the focus of 2011 prom mainly centered on the dance and food, however she hoped to have more forms of entertainment for next year. A wider array of entertainment options would better accommodate the entire student body, instead of one specific group, according to Veerappan.
“Our student body is extremely diverse, and it’s ASB’s responsibility to unify that student body,” Veerappan said. “I think if we had more forms of entertainment it would interest more students and not just one group.”
Kirkman agreed with the need for more pieces of entertainment, which prom 2011 lacked. Kirkman proposed the ASB build an entertainment palette by surveying the student body.
“I think we need to get back to the student body and get a big survey at the beginning of the year with a huge list of entertainment options and have people rank them,” Kirkman said. “Then we can find the most cost-effective option for those and combine that with a relatively classy venue.”
Concerning regular school dances, Kirkman credited the lack of attendance to the students’ assumption that they will not have fun. To address this issue, Kirkman said that he would bring a new energy to the dances, lower ticket prices and sell food and water at the dances. Kirkman stated that through having an incentive, such as earning spirit points for homecoming, students would show up to the first dance. At the first dance, students would realized that they could have a good time and therefore would build up excitement for the rest of the dances throughout school year.
Veerappan expressed that the main difference between prom and other dances is that ASB is able to get interest from much of the student body, aside from the usual crowd who attend dances. She agreed with Kirkman on introducing incentives such as having clubs sell food at the dance. Veerappan also noted that increasing ASB transparency and showing the student body how hard ASB works to put together the dances, would encourage more students to go to the dances.
Verappan repeatedly stressed the importance of transparency. She suggested a survey for the student body asking what students want to use the money that ASB has and what role they would like it to play.
“A lot of students are completely unaware of what we spend our money on and what we spend our time on, I think it is important that students understand what ASB is about and what we do on campus,” Veerappan said.
Kirkman also suggested a survey to get student body input on the issue of the ASB surplus. He envisioned that ASB would utilize the large amount of money that they are given on other things besides prom.
“I want to go back to being the mouthpiece of the student body, get to know people on campus and ask them what they want from the surplus,” Kirkman said.
While both candidates have served on ASB for two years, each brings a different type of experience. Having held both a class and cabinet position as sophomore president and ASB vice president, Veerappan emphasized her knowledge of the roles and expectations. Meanwhile, Kirkman, who served two years as multicultural representative, expressed that not being on a cabinet position would work to his advantage by giving him a new perspective.
Aside from ASB, Veerappan stated that her leadership background stems from being a national debater, teaching students to debate at Jordan Middle School and also teaching at schools in India over the summer.
Along with being ASB multicultural representative for two years, Kirkman said that he had founded a nonprofit organization, the Student Equity Action Network, hosted the first TEDx Palo Alto, served in Youth Community Service Fellows Leadership program for two years and participated in the first California youth council congregation of leaders trying to enact change at a statewide level.
Veerappan stressed having more direct experience from working alongside current ASB president Chirag Krishna and holding relations with the administration while Kirkman spoke of having more real world experience and strong relations with outside businesses and organizations.
To find out more about the subjects that Veerappan and Kirkman addressed including the bell schedule, integrating freshman, student stress and more, watch the full video of the debate.