Though school is not physically in session, the student council election for president and vice president is still up and running online. Students can vote through Sunday, May 10th at bit.ly/3bhGt6 or at the link sent to their email by Dr. Kiely. Per usual, each student gets one vote. 

Still unsure of who to vote for? Didn’t even know elections were happening? We’ve got you covered.

Juniors Meghan Coyle and Sam Ardrey are running against juniors Grace Pickering and Anna Decker for the presidential and vice presidential positions, respectively. 

Adaptation is a key quality of any leader, which both pairs have shown amidst the current situation. Since the usual posters and speeches of campaigning aren’t at their disposal, they have used social media to share their ideas with the school.

“Quarantine has definitely put a damper on our campaign process. I would have loved to be at Liberty surrounded by all of the people who support me (especially my StuCo family and cheer coach),” Pickering said. “However, Anna and I have really gone about this whole situation with a positive mindset! I’m so glad that I have her by my side to keep me focused, but also make it fun.”

“We’ve adapted by choosing a really versatile theme and I’ve created a posting schedule for our Instagram,” Coyle said. “We’ve both been reaching out to everyone we know at Liberty, pushing for more followers to get the word out.”

Read about the candidates below. 

Meghan Coyle

Social Media: Instagram- @vote_coyleandsam

Campaign Theme and Slogan: Spongebob, #Wehavethesecretformula

What makes you good candidates? “Sam and I would be a good fit because we are both very easy going, but we also are motivated to make Liberty the best it can be. We are open to conversations on how to better our experiences and the both of us are incredibly spirited. Sam is always at the front of the Student Section and I’m on the sidelines. We’re leaders even outside of StuCo; Sam in Link Crew and myself in cheerleading.”

How do you plan on fostering school spirit? “We want to foster school spirit by reaching out to the student body for spirit day ideas that everyone can do and supporting more clubs during their individual events!”

What goals and ideas do you have? “We really want to open up a communications line between the student body and the council, hopefully through our social media pages. Every month, I’d like to send out either a questionnaire for people to fill out or posting a forum of sorts on our social media. Furthermore, I want to keep a Google Form open for teachers to nominate students to be recognized for their work. A little like student of the month, but on a smaller and more frequent scale.”

What does LHS need to improve? “Personally, I want to improve recognition at Liberty. There are so many students at Liberty doing amazing things and working so hard but I feel like sometimes I hear it through the grapevine. I want to highlight the work being done either by individual students, clubs, and teams.”

Tell us about your running mate. “My running mate is just about the most accepting person I’ve ever met. Sam goes out of his way to make sure that people feel comfortable and seen at Liberty. Despite the fact that he’s a Cowboys fan, Sam has a great sense of judgement and I trust his opinions. He’s also incredibly supportive and hilarious. Anytime I need a good laugh, I can count on Sam.”

Why should people vote for you? “People should vote for Sam and I because we want to prioritize the voice of the student body. We want to hear what the student body wants so we can work to accomplish that. Furthermore, Sam and I will work so hard to continue to develop the culture at Liberty, pushing to increase attendance at not only sporting events, but also competitions and club events.”

Grace Pickering

Social Media: Instagram and Twitter- @VoteGraceAnna TikTok- @VoteGraceAnna2020

Campaign Theme and Slogan: TikTok, “We know what’s best #ForYou”

What makes you good candidates? “[Anna and I] make a great team! We also both have TONS of experience. I have been in StuCo for two years so I have had the chance to chair multiple events and take on the role as Officer in Training. In my three years at Liberty I have been involved in a number of sports and clubs such as golf, cheer, NHS, and our Class of 2021 committee, theatre, HOSA, and diversity club. Anna also has so much experience, not only in StuCo but a number of clubs as well. She is involved in soccer, swim team, theatre, class committee, link crew, NHS, and I’m sure there is so much more. Our involvement shows how much passion we have for Liberty.”

How do you plan on fostering school spirit? “We plan on making school spirit even bigger and better next year by doing a number of things. We hope to break the stigma of spirit being “not cool” by making Spirit Friday’s at Liberty a huge tradition, not only during football season, but through the rest of the school year.”

What goals and ideas do you have? “We definitely have a lot of goals we want to accomplish next year. Our main focus is to show support for EVERY sport, club, or activity and LHS by highlighting their accomplishments and promoting their events.”

What does LHS need to improve? “There are so many teams and clubs at Liberty who put countless hours towards reaching their goals and it is so important that we acknowledge that!! The school as a whole puts so much focus on specific groups.”

Tell us a bit about your running mate. “My running mate is my rock. I would not be where I am now if it weren’t for her. She is one of the most hardworking and passionate people I have ever met, not to mention she is everyone’s hype man. Anna goes out of her way to make sure everyone is doing good and I love that about her. She has so much passion for Liberty and I know that she would do an incredible job as VP next year.”

Why should people vote for you? “You should vote for Anna and I because we have so much passion for Student Council and our school. To us, it is more than just a class. Being involved, not only in StuCo, but all activities at LHS has impacted both of our lives in a way I don’t even have the words to explain. We want to use this opportunity to have that same impact on other students at Liberty.”