Writer: Alishba S.
Editor: Lia
On Monday, April 13th, the annual International School Student Body Association (ISSBA) elections for the school year 2026-2027 took place. ISSBA is a student-run organization that works with the high school community to turn the student voice into action. They manage behind-the-scenes operations and launch new initiatives such as Summer Programs and ES-MS-HS Integration.
Before the election, students were encouraged to read the candidates’ campaign platforms to better understand them. During the assembly on Monday, each of the candidates presented a 2-minute speech, persuading the student body to vote for. A voting form was then released after school for students ranging from freshmen to juniors to elect their future council members.
This year, there were only seven candidates, ranging from freshmen to seniors. Those who ran included Ariya and Landon for the presidential pool and Vivay, Kayla, Eldar, Jacob, and Ranbir for the cabinet positions. Ariya and Landon both were elected from the presidential pool, with Ariya as president and Landon as vice president. While Eldar, Kayla, Ranbir, and Jacob will all be part of the ISSBA cabinet. Their positions are yet to be determined.
Pascal (9) voted for Ariya as ISSBA’s President. He said he found her to be interesting and hardworking, not only from her speech but also from the few experiences he gained from talking to her. “I liked the way she made it personal to us as students, in the literal sense too, when she talked about sitting in every single seat in the FAT. . .I also enjoyed how passionate she seemed in the way she moved around and talked. It made me realize I wanted a leader who was genuinely interested in us.”
This year’s candidate pool has decreased significantly from past years, including last school year, when there were nearly 20 applicants. While the numbers were low, each and every speech the candidates gave was unique and strong, leaving the audience with a lasting impression and fierce competition.
