As the weather becomes colder and leaves start to fall off the trees, the spirit of fall lingers in the air. November is not only a time of change in the weather outside and scenery, it is a time of change for politicians as the polls open up and citizens statewide can vote new candidates into office.
The Athens Drive AP U.S. Government and Politics class, led by Trena Kirby, teacher, is taking this spirit of change into their own hands this fall, holding elections for students willing to campaign for the position of president. This year, the battle centered around the two presidential candidates: Henry Moore, junior and Hunter Gill, senior.
“As someone who is interested in pursuing a career in politics, this was a great way to get a glimpse into the world of politics. It was a complete team effort and our campaign wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without the contributions of everyone, especially my campaign manager, Kayla Bridgham,” said Hunter Gill, presidential candidate.
Moore’s motivation behind running is similar to Gill’s. Both share a passion for politics and wanted to extend their passions to their school.
“The reason I chose to run is my passion for politics. After college I plan to pursue a career in politics and to run for federal office. I saw this opportunity to run as a great way to see what it is like to run for office with a large team behind me,” said Moore.
The campaign has extended far beyond the classroom for both candidates. Gill and his running mate, Haley Freer, senior have utilized different methods of promotion to extend their campaign, such as social media sites Twitter and Instagram, passing out stickers in the halls, putting up flyers in strategic locations around the school, and even going as far as creating a website for students to learn more about the candidates and their mission.
Two classes voted for the candidates after much campaigning, Jonathan Pugh and Brian Harrington’s first period civics and economics classes. The classes, alongside watching each candidate campaign had the opportunity to watch them give speeches and debate for why they would be the best candidate for the presidency.
Moore and running mate Hind Elouakifi eventually edged out Gill by way of the electoral college despite Gill winning the popular vote 23-18.
“I feel honored and humbled to win this election,” Moore said. “The win brought all of our team’s hard work to fruition and shows that hard work pays off. In all honesty it is something that I am very proud of, proud of myself and even more proud of my amazing team.”
