By Angela Wang (’28)
“What do you call a Grade 11 student with a healthy sleep schedule and no stress? A liar.” As my fellow Grade 11s may remember, that was my banging opening line during this year’s council speech. Whether it actually convinced anyone to vote for me is information I would rather not investigate.
If you spent the past few weeks living under a rock, or were simply too caught up in the September whirlpool of assignments, tests, clubs, sports, and rapidly increasing piles of work, or, more relatably, didn’t bother to read the DAs, you might have missed the stealthy arrival of the council election season.
Around the school were posters plastered across the walls. Instagram stories soliciting for your vote. Candidates delivering passionate speeches to their respective grades, and, in certain cases, questionable attempts at humour.
Democracy, in other words, was thriving.
But now the posters are coming down, the Instagram stories have expired, and the results are in. The dust has officially settled. However, several important questions remain. What actually goes into a student council campaign? What convinced students to vote for one candidate over another? And, perhaps most importantly, do our newly elected representatives actually plan to fulfill all those campaign promises?
In the interest of serious investigative journalism, I decided to find out.
The Art of Getting Elected
As it turns out, there is no universally agreed-upon method for electoral success. Some candidates rely on experience, others on memorable campaign strategies, and a fortunate few on the complete absence of political opposition.
For Minnie, an elected Arts Council representative, familiarity and experience were particularly valuable. Having attended WPGA since Junior School, she believes that her longstanding involvement in the arts, along with her previous council experience, helped establish her credibility among voters. Her campaign also offered a rather practical demonstration of her qualifications: she held up a piece of her own artwork during her speech, which I personally believe is quite a refreshing approach. Still, among the more memorable approaches was the now-familiar question, “Who is Hugo Chung?”—a campaign slogan that, according to Evangeline and Jasmy, succeeded because it was short, memorable, and easily circulated. Of course, perhaps an even more effective campaign strategy is to assess the competition—or, better yet, avoid it altogether. Evangeline and Jasmy found themselves in the rather fortunate position of being the only two candidates running for their respective Arts Council positions, while Amos faced a similar situation when he ran for Environmental Council.
Of course, securing a position on council is one thing, but actually fulfilling the responsibilities that accompany it is another. A recurring theme throughout my interviews was the desire to move beyond the familiar cycle of school events, which, despite their merits, have become somewhat predictable. Evangeline and Jasmy similarly expressed ideas to introduce initiatives that have not historically been part of the Arts Council, particularly as this marks Ms. Harms’ final year. They also challenged the perception that Arts Council does relatively little, pointing out that even seemingly modest events demand considerable planning and effort behind the scenes. Evidently, there is more to organizing school activities than sending out a message on the DAs and hoping people show up. As for what exactly the council has planned, I have been entrusted with certain information that, in the interest of preserving an element of surprise, I shall refrain from disclosing. However, after much probing, Jasmy has offered a small teaser: graffiti wall. Whether this marks the beginning of an artistic renaissance at WPGA remains to be seen.
So there you have it, your 2026-2027 councils. Only time will tell what this year’s councils have in store for us. For now congratulations to everyone elected, and condolences to my fellow unelected candidates. Lastly, good luck to the future candidates. After all, election season will be back before we know it.