As a student publication, the staff of wlhsNOW is in a unique position when it comes to student elections. We want someone that will represent us and give us the ability to continue covering everything that goes on in and around the school. Out of the three presidential candidates, Brooklyn Carr Heuer, Brody Olson, and Sophia Gilday, all juniors, we feel that Olson is the best option for the job.

The president of ASB makes final decisions on many choices ASB wants to make, manages ASB, hosts the LiveROAR weekly, and is a representative in decision-making for the students in school board meetings. Voting closes on Friday, May 23, and before that date passes, the staff of wlhsNOW would like to encourage those who haven’t voted to use their vote in support of Olson.

Olson is the current Arts Commissioner for ASB, and it’s his job to advocate for activities in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) such as the school’s music, theater, and tech theater programs. Olson is deeply involved in these programs, singing in two choirs and acting in the musicals and other theater productions. If elected president, Olson’s goal is to continue this advocacy for the PAC programs.

“Representing the arts for me is such a big deal, and I feel like throughout the years, there’s just been a lack of that,” Olson said. ”Especially as the arts are capable of so much.”

Not only is Olson’s goal to represent the arts, but he is also focused on increasing representation and exposure for the rest of the student body for things like smaller sports and, in our case, our publication.

“We should be representing and supporting everyone a lot more,” Olson said. “As I’ve been going to more of these sports games, I’ve been interested because I always see Instagram posts for football and basketball, but I rarely see things from people at soccer, lacrosse, or tennis. I’ve enjoyed the smiles I see from complimenting other people, like, ‘Hey, great game out there.’ If I can provide that on an even bigger and grander scale by plugging their games with a promo video on the ROAR or posters, I hope to be able to spread that positivity and support for our whole community. I feel like we’re very capable of that, and that’s why I’ve taken it upon myself to find ways that connect us in a deeper, more personal sense.”

Olson’s goal of representation and giving the spotlight to more corners of the school is something we, as a staff, look for in a president. This exposure also would benefit us as a publication, and we recognize that it would benefit many other areas around the school and community.

Another thing Olson plans to do if elected as president is to increase engagement and attendance at the school’s quarterly assemblies, as students often skip them.

“I feel like for a lot of people, there’s this really bad stigma attached to [assemblies],” Olson said. “Why shouldn’t we go when this is the one time when all of us are together in one place to really connect and to celebrate what we’ve accomplished? If it were more of an optional thing, if we provide a better recap of what we did in the assemblies, or really show people what we bring to them, we [could] make them more engaging. There’s a lot of potential for what they could be in terms of community bonding.”

A major part of Olson’s ideology with his leadership is personal connection, which is something that, as a publication, we find incredibly important. Journalism is all about developing connections with people through writing and interviewing, and we value that in leaders as well.

One of the most important things a leader can have is a personal connection with the people they are representing, and Olson has the ability to connect with the student body and understand that we’re all different.

“I connect with people on a much deeper level than some others would,” Olson said. “I feel like after one conversation with some people, I’m very close to that person because I know, deep down, we’re all just people getting through life. That’s just kind of my motto. Everyone’s got their own stuff going on, but we’re all connected as people, and I like providing that space and that comfort for people and [being] someone to talk to.”

With all these things taken into consideration, we would like a candidate like Olson to represent us at school board meetings and in ASB decision-making: empathetic, ambitious, and caring. Once again, if you haven’t used your vote, the staff of wlhsNOW encourages you to vote Brody Olson for ASB president.