(Vice) Presidential Election Speeches

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The senior and junior classes had been simultaneously called into the gym, converted into its auditorium setup, as the annual elections for student council positions took place. The juniors were giving the speeches first, in alphabetical order by last name, followed by the seniors. All students would cast their ballots together afterwards, and the new presidents and vice presidents would be decided.

Joshua Bracewell

Joshua Bracewell strode to the podium, resisting the urge to practically bolt to the centre of the stage and fully succumb to the concoction of energy drinks that were swirling within his system. He didn't usually drink more than one at any given time, not wanting to develop a dependency on them or lessen their effects through overuse. The state of mind he'd found himself in that morning, however, had practically demanded he skull half a six-pack before the drive to school. A combination of nerves and a feeling of under-preparation had led to the previous night being one fraught with rewrites and repeated practices. Out of all the clubs he'd been a member of and positions he'd run for, this one by far held the most weight, would stand out the brightest and loudest on any resume. And that undeniable fact had caused a cocktail of nerves that he so rarely encountered – or let himself encounter, rather.

He'd switched his usual polo and sweater combination for a dark green blazer and simple white dress shirt, hoping to convey to his peers the level of professionality he hoped to bring to the role. His favourite silver cat-shaped cufflinks brushed against the podium as he settled his cue cards upon it. As he shuffled through the cards and grinned at the assemblage of his peers spreadeagled before him, Joshua felt the tightly-knit bundle of anxiety stewing within him slowly wash away, replaced with his usual unwavering confidence in its wake.

"Hello students and faculty of Cochise High School! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Joshua Bracewell – but please call me Josh! Today I'm here to inform you about why you should choose me for the position of junior vice-president.

"First and foremost: I've been a member of student council since freshman year, and as such already have a great deal of knowledge about how student government works – so you wouldn't need to worry about me spending my time learning the ropes. I'd be able to leap right in and get straight to improving Cochise High, both for you guys and all future generations of students to come!

"I also represent Tahiti in our school's Model United Nations, a role which has given me extra experience in governmental workings that would undoubtedly prove beneficial in this role. Representing Tahiti has also given me a chance to reflect on my roots. Being able to express the pride I have over my own heritage is very important to me, and I know the same can be said of many of you guys too! If elected, I promise I will ensure school events and other ways in which everybody may embrace their cultures.

"I also participate in a wealth of other extracurricular activities too. I play flute in the school band, write for the yearbook committee, give tutoring, am a member of the tennis team, and participate in the volunteering club. These pursuits are a mixture of academia, artistry, and sports, and I know just how important all of these areas are! If chosen as vice-president, I can assure you that none of those areas will be glossed over or ignored. Additionally, I know full-well the workload participating in a club can bring to one's life. I'd hate to see people give up on things they're truly passionate about because of the stress brought on by organising events and juggling clubs and schoolwork. If chosen as your vice-president, I can ensure that ways will be found to help make this balancing act easier. I want to help, and I know that if placed in this position I can make that happen.

"Of course, being vice-president isn't wholly about coming up with great ideas and implementing them. I consider myself friends with all of your presidential candidates, and know that I would be able to work strongly with any of them to ensure their ideas come to fruition. I'm an organised, energetic, and friendly person, and am certain that I'll be able to handle the workload that comes from this role. Please don't hesitate to approach me at school or flick me a Facebook message if you have any queries or suggestions for how to improve our already magnificent school. I believe that every voice is a voice that deserves to be heard.

"Vote for Joshua Bracewell as junior vice-president. Thank you for your time!"

Conrad Harrod

Conrad approached the podium. He had not written a speech. Though he did not have to have written one. He had his speech in his head and he tried to hold eye contact with the audience.

"Good morning, Cochise.

So, uh, like last year, I would like become the vice president. You know, I invested a lot of my free time in the student council, because I really like to work with the other members. That's what I've always done. I love to organise things, to change things, to make your wishes come true. And even though this is the last year of school, we will still try to change, improve things. We will improve the, uh, cafeteria food. We will try to fulfill your demands. If there's a problem, there won't be a problem soon. So you can trust me with your vote, heh.

So yeah, I am going to look forward for the coming last year of school!"

Emma Luz

Student council elections were always a little dramatic. Of course, they would be. Luckily, Emma Luz knew one thing: it was always good to come prepared. That made her confident.

Emma appeared on stage after she was called up, a smile visible on her face. As always for this sort of thing, she made sure to dress in school colors. She even found a brand new red skirt, and a cute burnt yellow top that went with it. Speech? Long memorized. Even if she forgot, she had it on the pack of note cards in her hand. She probably didn't need to look at it at this point, though. She had been campaigning since the beginning of the school year. Making posters and buttons, maintaining a Facebook page for her candidacy, And Emma had lucked out. She was feeling great today. Only a little drowsiness earlier, but she was fine otherwise.

So far, it was going smoothly. Now the main thing she needed to do, of course, was present her speech. Emma slid behind the podium, her grin still on.

"Now here's a fun bit of trivia: a long time ago, the spot we are in right now used to be a general store. Of course, if we look around-"

She turned her head left, then right.

"We've grown a lot since then. And I mean a lot! Since 1919, we've been growing and expanding in so many ways, I can't even begin to count. And not just the school itself. There's been different faces each year. Teachers, freshmen, you know it.

"I, Emma Luz, have been with this school for four years. I've played piano for the school band for all four years, and let me tell you, everyone there is awesome. I've also served on the student council. In fact, I was Treasurer last year. I know a lot about things are done here. You might also recognize me from when I help with school events.

"In my four years at Cochise, I, Emma Luz, your potential president, have seen a lot of great things happen. I've seen the beginning of friendships, some successes with the sports teams, and the teachers trying their hardest to help us learn. And yet, we can't stop growing. Not now.

"For example, what about the field trips? Speaking as a member of the council since my freshman year, there's always been a bit of difficulty making sure that all trips are well-funded and well-organized. We got a lot of success last year. Remember how the Route 66 Museum trip went? If you weren't there, it was a blast. Mr. Dukoff, parent volunteers, and the council helped make it what it was. But can we grow, and make our field trips even better? Of course! Cochise always has. We could put more support into that, and make them more organized and fun for everyone involved.

"What about tutoring? Some students don't even know that it's available for them. I did a quick poll at the start of the school year, and it turns out about half of the school has no idea about tutoring or other resources. It's a shame, because the people in the peer tutoring club are awesome. Trust me, I know. Some teachers have also been willing to host study groups after class for people to practice if they're having trouble in a subject. Mrs. Webber, for example, has hers on Fridays after school. I've been to those, you're missing out if you haven't. Can we make them even better, and make everyone more aware of them? Sure we can! Heck, we could probably provide more opportunities for students to find study buddies, too. I will make sure that more than half of you know about what's available, and that you get the help you need.

"Many of you would like to have better school lunches. Another poll I took told me that more than 60% percent of you feel that the school lunches haven't been satisfactory. What's more, some of you have said you want healthier options on the menu. Now, I can't promise gourmet food every day, but you know what I can say? I can say we can change the menu so that there's healthier and much better items. Also, have you ever spent have spent half the lunch period in line? Actual reports have shown that most students in the US prefer to buy snacks rather than actual meals because the lines are so long. It also means that sometimes people waste food because they can't finish it before class. I don't know about you, but personally, I would love to spend less time in lines and more time to actually eat. I would like to improve lunch time by changing the menu to items that are healthier and tastier, and to perhaps look into a school lunch card program to make the lines move quicker.

"As your President, I will strive to make improvements, and to help Cochise grow. I consider myself to be a pretty open and friendly person, so come to me if you want something changed. I also value hard work and academic success. I'm familiar with student council. In fact, even before Cochise I served in elementary and junior high school, which means I have many years' experience. And, I absolutely love Kingman and Cochise. I will do everything in my power to make us run smoothly.

"The choice is up to you. Just remember one thing-"

Her smile got bigger.

"You'll never lose if you vote Luz. Thank you."

Emma stepped away from the podium, the claps following her step. As she took her seat, she noticed her body felt slightly numb, mostly in the arms and legs. It was okay, though. It wasn't bad. Hopefully she did good. Hopefully? As she shook herself out for a few seconds, she kept smiling. Emma was feeling optimistic.

(Credit for the speeches goes to each character's handler.)