Student Council Elections: Second Term Speeches

Polaris · Sep 15, 2017

The courtyard has been set up for elections, although the seats are only half full. Any interested candidate is free to book a time to make a speech on the afternoon of the 15th, explaining their position to interested students. While not mandatory for those running, a clear place to state your platform is a huge boon, and the majority of candidates are taking advantage of it.

The small stage has a podium and a few decorations for those wishing to give their speech and tell the school where they stand on academic issues plaguing the island.

(Please only post once in this thread with a character giving a speech. Do not roleplay in this thread outside of speeches. Mind you that a speech doesn't have to be a short post at all. Go wild!)

Romi · Sep 17, 2017

Havoc liked to think he'd done a good job as president, but he didn't have much to compare to. He had little experience with civilian leadership, and even less interest in actual pursuing a career. He'd taken a spot on the student council to expose himself more to the civilian way of life, and in that regard it had been an excellent venture.

Truthfully, he'd been helped by circumstances. The school had been beset by a series of increasingly dangerous situations, and having someone around who was unafraid of the danger was ideal for everyone. Another student might have panicked and hid, but Havoc had stood his ground.

He wasn't clear on if he was popular or not, but he hoped that everyone who had been at the school long enough at least thought of him as competent. He'd already made the decision not to run for president (or even vice president) at all, which made things much easier. People would see his good record and be willing to place him on the council easily, but there would be new blood in charge in order to help the transition after he left school.

His speech was to that effect.

"Thank you for hearing me," Havoc said formally as he stepped up to the podium before a half-full courtyard. The enthusiasm towards the election seemed as mediocre as always, and Havoc had learned not to expect any sort of enthusiasm for it.

"My name is James Havoc, and I served as the student council president this last term. I was president during the March virus, and was among the victims kidnapped earlier this year. It has been a hard year for everyone, but despite that the council has done well. I managed to convince the school to fund the after school self defense program, allowing students of all budgets to prepare themselves for the wider world. Classes are open for everyone, of all grade levels, and are completely free. I only have one term remaining at the school, as I've decided to transfer into the scout program, and I'd like to spend that term helping the new council transition, rather than replacing the entire team in one go."

Which had always seemed stupid to him, but the burnout rate was high. People were busy. People moved on. And people had their own things to deal with. Things that didn't involve sitting on a student council.

But Havoc was not busy. He had six months of the scouting training to complete, and then it was back into the workforce. He had no other hobbies, and he didn't need to be that involved in his own self defense program. He was confident enough in his skills, but had no experience in educating others.

"I hope you'll allow me this small accommodation, in order to more smoothly transition between one team to the next." He'd said his piece, and Havoc gave a small salute before leaving the stage to the next person.

It wasn't as good as his last speech. His last speech had featured goals and important issues, and this one had none of that. He had only a simple goal, and if he lost? Well, he wouldn't really mind. He wasn't even sure if Nix was going to run, but he sort of hoped he would. Nix would be a good president, and if he was going to try and move up, Havoc was going to put his full weight behind him.

For however much that was worth, anyway. Probably not much, but he could certainly try at least.

And it had worked last time, hadn't it?

ReD · Sep 19, 2017

Ven was nervous, but to his credit, it didn't show. The young man was dressed casually in a dark dress shirt, dark pants, and a red tie. His long hair was slicked back, and though he had heavy bags beneath his eyes, Ven was devoid of any of his usual eyeliner, wallet chains, and leather bracelets.

He stepped up to the small podium and cleared his throat. He looked over the small crowd and Ven relaxed. So this might be a magical school filled with bad-ass creatures, but it was still a school, and Ven was pretty okay with school.

The previous president had gone before him. Ven hadn't been a student at the time of the other boy's election campaign, so he had no idea what he was comparing himself for. Hell, he hadn't been here for the March virus; Ven was still in a coma at that point. But he was awake now, and he was at a new school, and though he was an outsider, Ven thought that might give him an example.

"My fellow students, the faculty, and the academy staff," Ven started, flashing a smile. "My name is Thievenne Paget, and I am running for student council. Most of you probably won't know my name, and that's okay, because I'm new here. I'm an outsider. But being new here has given me the opportunity to see things with fresh eyes, things that might have become common place to those who have lived on the island for a long time now."

Ven cleared his throat, and swallowed.

This was going well, he thought. He was tired--Ven was already tired--but he didn't feel like he was in danger of passing out. All he had to do was clear this, and he was safe.

"As a student council representative, I would seek to organize more after school programs and structured events to help adjust newcomers to the island. A tour around campus simply isn't enough to help with the reality that many students are experiencing Reality Dissonance, or the new kid syndrome," Ven said.

He offered a smile, and then he delved into the personal. "As someone who really was in a coma, take it from me: sometimes, the idea that you're alone and lost is more terrifying than the idea of being awake."

He reached over for his water bottle, which was laced with caffeine, and took a heavy swig. He cleared his throat and continued.

"I would also like to push for more inclusive resources to build resilience, tolerance, and support for new students dealing with the psychological stress of their powers. I intend to do this by petitioning the staff to form small student-led groups that would pair older students with newer students, with comparative powers if possible, to prevent problems before they occur. To often with health, both mental and physical, we're dealing with the side effects after they happen, not looking for ways to prevent them from happening. Social supports are one of the most valuable preventatives for physical and mental illness, but some of the hardest to form. As a student council member, I would seek to shift the burden of responsibility of forming new relationships onto us, the students who have been here longer, rather than the ones who have just arrived," Ven said.

He supposed that was it.

"So with that, I would like to announce that I, Moon Moon, am running for student council. Thank you for your time," he said, and he flashed them a smile, a peace sign, and stepped down from the platform.

His heart was racing. Could he do this?

Ven hoped so.

To his credit, he at least got inside before he passed out, too.

beloved · Sep 25, 2017

Nia watched as her running mate exited the stage and made his way inside. Dressed in her favorite blue dress, hair pulled back so she wouldn't have to worry about it falling into her eyes, Nia made her way to the microphone. She held a single piece of paper in her hand. She gripped it as if her life depended on it.

When she made it to center stage, Nia reluctantly lifted her eyes to look out at the students gathered before her. She felt very small. Her left shoulder started twitching, her knees started shaking and her words caught in her throat. She thought she was going to throw up.

That was until she saw someone in the front row. Aedan was looking up at her with a huge smile on his face. Even though he wasn't a student anymore, he had still shown up to support his little sister. Her eyes locked onto his and she found her footing. If he was here, then she could do this. Her shoulder still twitched but she remembered the clarity that had led her to make the decision to run. Even if it had been a bipolar episode, she wasn't going to give up. She had Ven relying on her as a running mate. Not to mention there was some part of herself that felt this may be one of the most important things she was would do since arriving on Manta Carlos.

"My name is Nia." She said, reciting the speech she had spent hours rehearsing. "I have been a student at Starlight Academy for two and half years. This school has given much to me and it is time that I give something in return."

Another deep breath, a small smile, and her eyes moved from Aedan's to her paper.

"For as long as I can remember, I have been receiving visions of the future. I cannot control when I get them or what I see. To say the least, this has been extremely frustrating. However, I recently discovered a different, more controllable ability that, if elected as auditor, will allow me to predict the success of programs and the possibility of catastrophes."

She paused, as practiced, to allow her statement to sink in.

"My ability allows me to take data from a situation and extrapolate it to predict the most likely outcome. I believe all of you can see why this would be a great asset to have on the student council. My running mate, Thievenne Paget, is the man with the ideas. I am the one who will double check those ideas to be sure that we are making the best decisions possible for the student body."

Nia paused again, this time because she needed a moment to breathe before continuing. She looked up at Aedan, then back at her paper. As she stood there preparing herself to speak again, she felt a wave of calm crash over her. All shaking and trembling stopped and Nia's eyes moved up to scan the crowd, slowly making eye contact with everyone she could.

"I have spent the past two and a half years observing, watching and learning. I have steadily been reading through every book in our school's library and have taken notes on everything that is, directly and indirectly, affecting life for the students of Starlight Academy. I still have much to learn but there is nowhere better for me to learn than working directly with the school as a student council member. I hope you will consider me, Nia, when you cast your ballot. Thank you."

With that, she turned and left the stage.

Boop · Sep 26, 2017

Fatima hadn't planned to run for student council. It had been a bit of an impulse brought on by people saying she should get a hobby. The idea that she should find something more to occupy herself. She didn't really have a speech, not having a platform or anything, but she wasn't aiming high - just secretary, and if she didn't win then she didn't win. Surely anyone else would be better than her for any position, but at least she wouldn't feel like she was taking anyone's spot - she doubted there were people who would be really upset at not getting that position anyway. Needless to say, she hadn't done any campaigning, but she thought a speech would be something she could do.

At least that's what she had thought until she actually got up on stage and tried to talk. The girl was a model - her job basically meant prancing around in pretty clothes on a stage for money. Turned out that giving a speech was completely different. Fatima's mind was going blank and she couldn't speak.

She hadn't told anyone that she was gonna try this since it was pretty much a last minute decision. Her attempt to branch out and do something different. She'd probably slept with someone in the audience, and maybe there were friends, but she felt - exposed and terrified.

"H-hi. I'm Fatima. A lot of you um probably have seen me around school. I'm... kinda hard to miss..." She interrupted herself with a nervous laugh. "I don't really have a platform like these people. I just would like to be helpful. umm, This is a great school and I want to be a part of something bigger than myself. I'm not looking for any leadership or anything and you should vote for everyone else. I just um want to be the secretary."

The redhead felt overheated, she wondered if she was blushing. She had almost no idea what was coming out of her mouth, and she really just needed a drink or food or anything.

"I know that wasn't much of a speech. But umm that's all I've got... Thank you for your time." With that said, Fatima bolted from the stage and shoved some candy in her face as soon as she was pretty sure she was out of the audience's sight. Public speaking was one thing she never wanted to try again.

Kait · Sep 26, 2017

It was a frustrating day for Ruben. He couldn't not make a bid for student council, but he had so many other things to be doing. Important things. He'd only been here for a short while, and he had so many other irons to put in the fire that had nothing to do with running for student council.

But what was he going to do? Not run for student council? He had to make it on student council.

So Ruben was running for student council. He showed up on speech day dressed to kill, oozing confidence, sharp suit and tie like a proper politician. The rest of his campaign would be lackluster by comparison, and he accepted that. He knew he wouldn't win President this time; he was too new and too preoccupied, and he couldn’t afford the indulgences that his peers abroad would engage in to make this process go more smoothly for him. It would be too risky with all the magic flying around. Playing fair would be enough for now, and he could accept a lower position now to improve his clout for later.

The more excuses he made for himself, the more frustrated he became.

"My name is Ruben Spencer," He began, "And even though I've only been here a short time, this island and this Academy is already very special to me. I don't know you all very well yet, but just by being here and seeing me today, you already know something very personal about me: my true form."

"Reptilians like me are usually very secretive about that. We have to be, to live among the humans. Can you imagine the kind of havoc it would cause if I walked around normies like this? They'd think I was some kind of monster. Or even worse, a politician." That earned him a bit of laughter. "And that's just racial profiling. We can be bankers, too. Hashtag NotAllLizardPeople."

The laughter died down, and he continued. "Really, though, I love this place. I love that I can be myself, that we can freely discuss things the normies can't even know about. The freedom we have here is oxygen to me. That's why I want to keep this place safe, as our friend James does. But I also want it to thrive."

"On the educational side of things, as a member of student council I would expand the scope of our school's public lecture series. As a few of you know, probably because your teachers made you go to one, our school has big lectures open to all students and to the public every once in a while. I'll see to it that we have more of them, and that they include the sorts of voices we don't often get to hear, so that we can be challenged and grow."

"But for those of you who don't like it when people stand up and talk in front of you for a long time, well, first of all, I'm sorry. I'm almost done." A few more laughs from the crowd. "Secondly, I have something to benefit you, too. More money to the cafeteria, and a more streamlined feedback system, so we can all have our favorite foods at lunch more often. I would also introduce a weekly event in the student lounge, where free snacks will be provided to students. Some of us have a rough time getting here, and a rough time getting used to this place. I believe that small comforts like this - good food and another chance to meet new friends - could go a long way in making this place even more welcoming to its new students." And it didn't hurt that every student would benefit directly from those things. He knew these ideas would be popular.

With a quick "Vote for Ruben!" to wrap it all up, he left the stage.

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Student Council Elections: Second Term Speeches

Polaris

For official threads only. Do not PM.

Romi

Secretly a Bird

ReD

Sex & Death Everywhere

beloved

Well-Known Member

Boop

Little Bo Peep

Kait

Gay Idiot