Paige Rawiszer ‘22
Aimee Stan
"Reform, Rewrite, Revive”
On April 30, the student body held Presidential elections for the 2021-2022 school year. It was a rather competitive year with seven presidential candidates and their vice presidential running mates all vying for the nomination. After a well-done debate and weeks of campaigning, the student body elected Rachel Ma ‘22 as student body President and Ricky Valente ‘22 as Vice President. I recently sat down with Rachel and Ricky to discuss their agendas, hopes, fears, and expectations for the 2021-2022 school year.
Why did you decide to run for president and vice president?
Rachel Ma:
Good question. I saw issues surrounding misogyny, mental health, and racism. I saw the community struggling and saw that the mental health of the community was declining. It didn’t look like the Cate I knew from freshman year. Being president, I hoped it would give me a chance to have some power in changing that. I feel like being president is just a title, but having that title allows me to lead and make changes next year.
Ricky Valente:
I heard Rachel speak when she was running for Senate and thought she should run for President. We both thought that we have a good dynamic, which is really important, and so we ran together.
What do you feel is the biggest issue plaguing the Mesa right now?
RM:
I think the impact of COVID on spirit and mental health as a whole. It affects our ability to be able to connect as a community.
RV:
I think the biggest issues have changed throughout the year. Currently, there is big stress surrounding academics and extracurriculars. But obviously, the year started off with racial issues and tension on campus and then progressed into the “Women of Cate” account and issues regarding that. These are obviously bigger issues. I think the most pressing issues will continue to shift.
Your plan is to reform, rewrite, and revive the Cate community. What does that entail?
RM:
Reform mental health. I already talked to Dean’a Curry (head of counseling) and the Active Minds Cate Club. We are working on a plan to make mental health care more accessible to everyone. Also, we would like to have more representation in the counselors. For example, during the Atlanta shooting, Asian members of the community wished they could have someone to talk to about that tragic event who would understand their perspective. However, none of the counselors are Asian. We want to work to have a variety of counselors (LGBTQ+ counselors, Black counselors, etc.), so everyone feels safe going to the counseling office.
Rewrite Cate Senate. We are working to integrate affinity club heads into the Senate so that the Senate is a microcosm of the entire student body. We want to make sure the Senate representatives know what is going on in the school in order to combat those issues. It is important that the senators have more defined roles and are really checking in with those they represent through google forms and surveys.
Revive Cate. With the second dose of vaccines being administered now, I am really hopeful for next year. Our main focus is to make sure the senior class is reviving the spirit and setting the bar for what “normal” Cate is going to look like. We want to hold seniors accountable for doing that as we play a crucial role in setting the tone for the year. Other than that, I am hopeful for new activities, such as the possible “Amazing Race” around Carpinteria and Santa Barabara. Being President and Vice President can be difficult, as it can alienate you from the student body. I will make it my goal to talk with the whole community and figure out what the students actually want. I will work with the administration to fight for change and for what students want to see implemented.
Do you feel like you will be able to collaborate with the administration?
RM:
Yes! I’ve already worked with the administration multiple times. I think that the administration is such an ambiguous term and that students think it is a big and scary thing. In reality, it’s the faculty that we all know and love. Administrators want the same thing the students want. I think it’s a matter of getting the Cate rules and Cate protocols to reflect what changes we want to see.
Your campaign focused on non-ambiguous promises. What are some of the more tangible changes you wish to see implemented?
RM:
Reworking the senate is a tangible change I want to definitely implement. We want to make it the hub for change. Rather than students going to the administration with concerns, we hope they will be able to go to the Senate to push their ideas. We would also like to get off-campus counselors to improve mental health. To revive, tangible changes to the current activities. We want to get multi-grade activities and make connections between the grades stronger.
Are there any big changes that might not be accomplished during your term, but ideas that you want to make progress on?
RM:
I really want to work on prefect and TA training. Since we live on campus, seniors basically function as RAs in a college dorm. I would love to see training be much more intensive on social and emotional issues.
RV:
I would love to go back to “normal.” I felt that sense of normal the other night in the new Community Center, playing ping pong and foosball between different grades and groups of friends. When people leave Cate, the biggest regret is not getting to meet everyone, which is not good, as you learn the most from other people. I want to make sure everyone can interact and meet each other, which we lacked a lot this year.
What strengths do you have that will allow you to lead the school effectively?
RM:
I’m very passionate about making change, and I enjoy working with a variety of people. I’m not going to work in my self-interest; I like to collaborate with everyone.
RV:
I think I am a very personable, enthusiastic, and positive person. I am well-connected in terms of the student body. I can talk to a lot of different groups pretty easily. I am not afraid to embarrass myself in order to bring positive energy.
How are you planning to fill your cabinet? Are you planning on making any changes to the cabinet positions?
RM:
I would love to have inclusion representatives, residential representatives, and academic representatives from students of all grades, not only upperclassmen. More representation across the entire student community. I want people who are actually dedicated to making change and thinking about ways to make the school better in my cabinet.
How do you both complement each other? How will your partnership work?
RM:
I was very impressed with how involved Ricky was in different areas and challenges that Cate has faced this year. He was leading the discussions in Young Men’s Forum about how the men at Cate can be better. He’s very sociable and easy to talk to, so he will be able to know the concerns of a variety of people.
RV:
I think Rachel is an extremely well-prepared person, very methodical. I think I am more of a “figure it out when I get there” person. I think this is good because coming into a lot of different situations, we can bring different perspectives and work well together because we don’t have a similar thought process.
To end, are there any fun, exciting ideas that the student body should look forward to?
RM:
Blender Bar! I don’t know how feasible this is, but I really want a bus to Disneyland at some point next year. I want to add more buses to a variety of amusement parks. We want to make more dorm spirit activities, as well. Adding more fun and unique activities is a big part of my and Ricky’s campaign.
Anything else?
RM:
I am so excited to be your next student body president! I will do everything in my power to make sure that we have the best year possible!
I wish Rachel and Ricky the best of luck, and I am excited to see all that they are going to accomplish in the upcoming year!
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