Despite the La Salle community being physically apart due to the COVID-19 outbreak, plans for next school year are still moving forward. And since you may not have received the chance to hear from your executive officer candidates and your faith, service, and community officer candidates this year due to the cancellation of in-person classes at La Salle, The Falconer collected statements from each candidate on what they want the student body to know about their campaign.

The responses below are published exactly as they were submitted to us by each candidate, and the elections for the Executive Council candidates are being held on May 26 via Schoology, where a Google Form will be posted that day. Each candidate also has their own campaign poster, which will be shared with the La Salle community on Schoology by Director of Community Ms. Liz Banta. 

Sophomore Officer Candidates

Maia Gutmann

“My name is Maia Gutmann and I’m running for Sophomore Executive Officer for the upcoming school year. As a freshman at La Salle, I am very new to this process but I feel that it’s important to have a strong voice advocating for our student community and to have someone pushing for everyone to have an amazing high school experience. I want to make everything — from school assemblies to the spirit-filled sports games — to be as enjoyable as possible for everyone. I will work hard to come up with amazing themes and unbelievable assemblies, and do everything in my power to have a positive effect on the community as a whole. If I get elected I hope to take all of your awesome ideas for the coming year and make everyone’s voice and opinion heard. I miss seeing you all!”

Catie Tassinari

“Hello! I am Catie Tassinari and I am currently a freshman at La Salle. I am running for Executive Sophomore Officer for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. Some of my hobbies include playing volleyball, going on walks, hanging out with my family and friends, and watching Netflix.

I had the opportunity to be apart of La Salle’s General Student Council this past year, and participate in service projects, assemblies, and the planning of various school activities. One thing in particular that I noticed was that the activities we planned were most successful when we listened to what the students asked for. We would post updates on Schoology for song recommendations for school dances, voting poles for football game themes, and much more. These activities were a success because we listened to the opinions of the students, and what the students wanted.

If I were elected Executive Sophomore Officer, I would continue to let the voices of the students be heard. I would create a welcoming and friendly environment, so that students don’t have to be embarrassed or intimidated to share their ideas or suggestions. Would you like to suggest a theme for a school dance? I can make sure that your suggestion is heard. Do you have a question that you would like to ask Student Council about? I will give you that opportunity to voice your thoughts. Do you want more service projects and opportunities to become involved? I can work my hardest to make that happen. The community and school spirit here at La Salle thrives because of the student voices and the feedback that they provide—I will ensure that those voices can be heard.”

Junior Officer Candidates

Simon Abraha

“Hello fellow Falcons! I am Simon Abraha, and I am excited to be running for the Executive Junior Officer for the 2020-2021 school year. Here are some facts about me. For the past few summers, I attended a leadership camp at Concordia University which sparked my interest in becoming a student leader at La Salle. I love giving back to the community through volunteering. Volunteering in the kitchen at City Teams, a local homeless shelter, was my most memorable volunteering experience. I love playing basketball and soccer recreationally with friends and family. Pre-corona my favorite location in Portland was downtown because I loved going on walks around the city, and envisioning where I might work in the future.

I am honored to be running for the Junior Executive Officer and I am excited at having the opportunity to positively influence my school community. If elected, I would be committed to making La Salle a better community by creating a more supportive, encouraging, and inclusive environment. School spirit is key to making sure students feel inspiring to learn, so planning fun and inspiring assemblies is part of my plan. I want to create a mentorship program so that all freshmen will have an upperclassman to help guide them in their first year of high school. I’m the type of leader that really believes in learning from my peers, so I plan to create surveys to get a clear understanding of the types of activities that our student body wants to see be brought to life.

Vote for me! If I am elected I will apply my passion for leadership and community to positively impact student life at La Salle.”

Amanda Rivera

“Hi everyone! I am Amanda Rivera (Sophomore) and I am running for Junior Executive Officer for next school year. I am involved in SALT, a student ambassador and am on the varsity volleyball team. I am currently your Sophomore Executive Officer and a member of student council!

I plan to make new changes for this year and the future, changes regarding school spirit and student involvement. From seeing our response and hearing opinions about the assemblies, I realize they need to have better content and a change in length in order for us to want to attend and participate. Along with this, I will attempt to set up a system to gather student opinion and suggestion— I am here to be a voice for each and every one of you and believe that hearing from more people will help us, student and executive council, to improve our ideas. Though Executive Council cannot directly change things like the prices of our lunches, a lot about our dress code, and homework amount, we can come together as a school in attempt to change them.

Voting for me, would mean voting for someone who truly cares about our experience here, so let’s make this year a great one by voting Amanda Rivera!!”

Mia Kritzer

“My name is Mia Kritzer and I’m running for Junior class executive officer.

I’m in this race because I want to reduce stigma around mental health and advocate for more student support regarding mental wellness and stress management.

Whether you’re an athlete, a performer on the stage, a gamer, a scholar, or somewhere in between, I want to stand with you. I want to be the person you can come to when times get tough. I want to be in touch with you, my classmates.

Are you really the “voice of your class” if you don’t empathize with the hardships your classmates endure behind the scenes? Are you really the “mouthpiece” of your class if you don’t represent every social group of your class? My goal is to unify the junior class through events that are inclusive of everyone.

I believe I am your candidate because I am assertive, experienced and hardworking. My goal is to connect the junior class through incorporating more google forms into social events such as dances and assemblies so students can voice their opinions.

During this unprecedented time, it’s easy to feel hopeless and uneasy. As your junior executive officer, I want to focus on cultivating meaningful bonds with my peers and responding with immediate action to the changes you want to see.

Typically, voters during class elections tend to vote for the name they hear the most, not the person viewed as most competent or trusted to get the job done.

Many treat this election as a joke, but you should know that this election will determine the leadership that steers the social aspect of La Salian student life. To those who are considering just not voting at all, I strongly encourage you to do so, the choice is in your hands.”

Senior Officer Candidates

Sawyer Paugh

“My name is Sawyer Paugh and the job of Senior Officer is to represent the ideas and wants of the senior class, to expand and enhance your experience here at La Salle, and to listen. Among the several issues needing attention are pizza, Falcon time, and assemblies.

Now, you all know what I mean when I say that there is one week of “bad pizza” and one week of “good pizza”. Even though students don’t have much of a voice in what is served in the cafeteria, bringing attention to the issue could bring change.

Falcon Time was confusing and, perhaps, inefficient this past year. Students weren’t signing up, there were constant announcements, and students weren’t going to the class for which they signed up. Falcon Time needs to give students more freedom to which classes they can attend in order to get more help on a variety of subjects instead of just one.

Speaking of efficiency, we need more efficient assemblies. It seems like last year we had an assembly almost every week. This is taking too much away from learning and break time which may decrease the amount of community building here at La Salle, not give students enough decompression time or work time. Getting rid of assemblies is not the answer, however, there are some aspects of the assemblies that we can condense in order to shorten their duration. This gives the senior class and the student body more time to study for that test next period, finish productive work, or relax.

These issues are only a few of which I will be advocating change.

If you want solutions, vote Paugh for Senior Officer, because your voice matters!”

Olivia Pisaneschi

“Hi everyone! My name is Olivia Pisaneschi and I am running for Executive Senior Officer. I have been part of the LaSalle community since 2010 when my sister was a freshman. I would love to get more involved in the community by leading us together. It would be awesome to be elected because I have many ideas for you all. First off, it would be amazing to have more free events offered to the community of LaSalle. These events could range from a movie night to a game night. This would be a great way to bring the whole community together free of charge. Secondly, I think it is very important for all of our voices to be heard. I would love to talk and hear people’s ideas regarding dances and activities. I want these events to be fun for everyone. Lastly, we lost a huge part of our high school experience and it would be great to make our year and the class of 2021’s last year amazing. We must make every moment count and make the 2020-2021 school year unforgettable.”

Executive President Candidates

Dakota Canzano

“What is important to you as a student at La Salle? I’m Dakota Canzano, and I would love to find out. If we haven’t met already, feel free to reach out to me directly on Schoology. I’m running for Executive Council President because I believe in equality and inclusivity. Meaning, I want to make sure everyone has a chance to feel heard about the issues important to them!

Going into La Salle, I was nervous and full of anxiety. Sometimes that still happens today and that’s okay. I want to be an advocate for supporting you and your mental health! I want you to know that you have someone looking out for you always.

Being a servant-leader is important to me. It means working for the good of all students, especially underclassmen and those who feel like they don’t “belong.”

But let me tell you something. You are important and you belong. Your values, characteristics, and personality are what make La Salle the fun community it is today. Although, we still have work to do. I am ready to continue growing with you and helping everyone feel not just accepted but valued.

I’ve loved connecting with La Salle students through volleyball and theater, and student leadership. But frankly, I just love saying “hello” in the halls, encouraging you, giving you a hug when you need it most, and cheering until I lose my voice to support YOU.

Right now, I need your support! Please vote for me.”

Molly Jenne 

“Hello fellow Falcons! This is Molly Jenne and it is so nice to be able to reach out to you all and I miss everyone so much, especially during this unusual time. I am running for Executive President of the student body for this upcoming 2020-2021 year. I am proud to be a part of the La Sallian family and I am running for this position to demonstrate my gratitude by serving you. I have been a member of Student Council for the last three years and I am excited for what’s to come in this approaching year.

In these last few months with COVID-19, it’s been more important than ever before to stay connected in our La Sallian community and I want to bring that spirit and anticipation of readiness and inspiration with us into our next school year. I hope to be a voice for the Student Body in effectively implementing your ideas from fun assemblies and fundraising to music for our dances and so much more. One of my main goals is to ensure that your voice is heard and that your ideas are put into action. I will continue to organize fun events that make La Salle’s experience so memorable. In these uncertain times, I will strive to make whatever the “new normal” is the best it can be.

I hope to make this year filled with joy and falcon spirit. After this COVID-19, I have seen all the things this La Sallian family can do together and I will do whatever it takes in making this upcoming year the best it can be. Let’s make this a year to remember together! Go Falcons!”

Carlie Weigel

“Hi everyone! This is Carlie, and I’m running for Executive President for the 2020-2021 school year. My goal is to make next year memorable and to most importantly provide all students with a voice.

To learn a little bit about me, my favorite food is sushi, I love thrift shopping, and I’m often not hesitant to express my opinion. Within our school community, I’m involved in Spirit Club, I serve as a Student Ambassador, I’ve been a part of LINK crew, I’m a member of the National Honors Society, and I’m also Editor in Chief of The Falconer. Through this involvement, I’ve developed skill sets that some might look for in an Executive President.

From working with The Falconer, I’ve bettered my decision making, communication skills, public speaking, and expanded my horizon for creativity. If I’m elected as Executive President, this experience will be beneficial to all students, promising successful events and quality activities, as well as allowing for more student involvement.

Additionally, I hope to contribute to creating more school-wide discussion, which could potentially lead to improvements on current functions here at La Salle. As a collective, I believe we can advocate for more leniency surrounding the dress code and implement more frequent spirit weeks.

Don’t forget to vote for me!”

Another form of student leadership that La Salle has is faith, service, and community officers (FSC officers). When considering the candidates for this group, “we look for folks that we think are going to be dependable and can reach a diverse group of students,” Ms. Banta said. 

To choose the FSC officers, a panel is formed with the executive officers – which Ms. Banta described as similar to a “class president” – and interviews are conducted. Each executive officer then casts a vote as to who they would like as their FSC officers for the school year, and this year they will be announced the first week of June. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year the interviews will be held over Zoom. 

Faith Officer Candidates

Anthony Nguyen

“Hi Falcons! I’m Anthony Nguyen, a current Junior at La Salle, and I am running for Officer of Faith. Ever since my Freshman year at La Salle, I knew that the position of Officer of Faith was something I would want to do during my Senior year. Being a part of Student Council for the past three years, I have been able to understand the importance of student input and I hope to use this experience to better understand the viewpoints of students when talking about their faith.

The aspect of faith doesn’t have to be limited to those who are Catholics, but I truly believe it can revolve around students discussing social issues in the world and sharing important life experiences with one another. As some of you may know, faith is a really important part of my life and is something I center my life around. Talking about faith as well as expressing it is a sensitive topic that I understand many students shy away from. Especially after all the hardships concerning the faith aspect of our community in the past year, my goal is to be able to increase student participation and excitement in our faith events such as masses and prayer services.

I hope that as Officer of Faith, I can help all of you in making the 2020-2021 school year the best and in the true spirit of Faith, Service, and Community. Keep staying strong during these hard times and Fly Falcons Fly! Thank You!”

Santiago Nolasco 

“Hey everyone, I am Santiago Nolasco and I’m running for Executive Faith Officer. Although I have yet to have any sort of experience in student council, I can at least attest to my faith. Having grown in a Mexican household, being Catholic is practically a requirement. I’ve grown up around the faith practically my entire life. However, having faith isn’t about keeping with family tradition, rather you making the faith your own. It’s this mindset that I’ll prioritize as a faith officer.

Having been exposed to Catholiscm in a variety of ways, I want to make sure that students have a wide variety of ways to express their faith other than just the occasional Mass. I would look into offering more community based faith events and advertising local faith events as well. Wider variety means more choice, and more ways to expand one’s faith.

Faith and community are integral parts of a Catholic school. If I get to become Officer of Faith, I’ll do my best to make sure that whether or not you are Catholic, you will have a wide variety of options to experience the Catholic Faith.”

Service Officer Candidates

MaryGrace Mott

“Hi there, my name is MaryGrace and I am running for the Officer of Service position. I am a rising senior! Some facts about me are that I danced for 14 years! I also have 6 cameras and love photography! Also, I am a lover of the arts! My three years at La Salle have taught me the importance of experience through service. I have been on the Student Council since sophomore year and found a real passion for service. Being a part of the Service Club has taught me so much about the world beyond La Salle. Ever since freshman year, I wanted to run for this position to bring in more ideas to make service much more prevalent in many aspects. I want to use my background of working with various non-profits to give more back to the student body. I feel that our student body is capable of excellence in many aspects and can enjoy and benefit from service participation.

My main goal as Officer of Service is to widen the opportunities for service and to encourage and incorporate service even more to the student body. I plan to strive for the idea of service to not be an obligation but a true opportunity to learn and grow! I plan to work with more nonprofits to build a bigger community of service. Finally, I feel that the service expands beyond just Student Council and I will work with the student body to make service opportunities even better at La Salle!!”

Community Officer Candidates

Bella Chalmers

“My name is Bella Chalmers. I am currently a junior and I am very much looking forward to my senior year at La Salle. I am an applicant for the position of Director of Community. I plan to work with Mrs. Banta to brainstorm and create ways to make activities that are more inclusive with the community at La Salle. It is important to me that all voices are heard. Our student body is so diverse in their interests and sometimes we get caught in the trap of appealing to the same reliable “go to’s”. I believe that we are stronger when we search beyond this way of thinking and find ways to represent those that did not ever think that their voice could be heard or that their talents or interests could be showcased. At assemblies, I want to hear more about the different activities that clubs are involved in and how we can help them. I also want to provide time to talk more about cultural awareness from the students’ perspective. I want to implement half time shows at football games and take that crowd participation and make it stronger. I would like to continue to find more ways to honor all artists at La Salle musically and artistically. I want to hear our students’ voices on what they like and what motivates them to participate when it comes to spirit weeks and dances. “Your involvement matters!” would be our mantra. I am open to listening to all ideas that anyone has and especially open to bring back any ideas that were really successful in the past. La Salle’s community is a unique environment already but with your voices, I’m excited to see how much more we can do and make that uniqueness even more fun and inviting for everyone!”

Alyna Nguyen

“Hello! My name is Alyna Nguyen, and I’m currently a Junior running for Officer of Community for our 2020 – 2021 school year. For the last three years at La Salle, I’ve been a member of Student Council and given the opportunity to plan some of our best events. I am also a member of NHS, service club, and NAHS.

I know this upcoming school year will be different from what we have previously known, and it’s uncertain if everything will return to how it used to be. Regardless of what next year looks like, as Officer of Community, I want to assure students that school activities will be better than before and that I’ll strive to make our favorite events happen again. It’s easy to feel separated from one another during times like this, but I hope to create ways for us to all come together and get through these tough times together.

School activities and events will be extraordinary this coming year to make up for all the fun that we’ve missed while apart. I want to be an outlet for students to share ideas and help create events that students not only want but enjoy. I will always be open to ideas and recommendations from our community on what they want to see done. As someone who has been fighting for diversity and inclusion at La Salle, I hope to open up our community to different cultures and celebrate the diversity we have here at our school. I know the importance of expressing ourselves and where we come from, and I want to encourage our whole community to immerse ourselves in new experiences and opportunities. I hope to improve our already amazing La Salle community into an even more welcoming, diverse, and unified environment. I hope to see you all very soon!”

Danny Nguyen 

“My name is Danny Nguyen – currently a junior – and I am running for Officer of Community. Many people may know me as the looming voice that makes the Cafe Justo announcement with my corny coffee jokes, or as the club moderators for Asian Pacific Islander Club. Whether on or off stage for choir performances or theatre production, you can often find me laughing and having a good time with my friends.

If elected to be Officer of Community I would work hard and diligently to grow the school spirit at La Salle. I want to make sure that there are some amazing memories during your high school experience. Some of those ideas include a drive-in movie night on La Salle’s football field, or perhaps bring back Senior Survivor Night! I want to encourage more friendly competition between class levels, and falcon formation. This year the student council did an amazing job with the competitions during Better Together, but I want to take it even further.

Furthermore, I want to give more visibility to minority clubs. Putting in a space for celebration of different heritage, backgrounds, and minorities. More celebrations during Pride month, black history month, Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month, Latinx heritage month, Native American heritage month, etc.. These are celebrations of people in our school community, and we should celebrate who they are!

I want to be a voice for the school community, as well as listen to your opinions on what you believe will make an awesome school year.

I want to make memorable moments happen. So that when you look back at your time at La Salle, you will think of the amazing, heart-wrenching, funny moments during your time in high school.”

Jake Owens

“Hey! I am Jake Owens, a junior, and I am running for the Director of Community position for this upcoming school year. I am a returning Varsity Captain for our boys basketball team and have always wanted to play a role in further developing our community here at La Salle. For the past three years, I have always wanted to make a positive impact in our school, and with the position of Director of Community, I know I could help improve this for everybody. I am so beyond thankful to have the opportunity to serve you all!

The Pandemic we are in right now has limited us all from being with our friends and has taken us away from being in our La Salle community. Although this time is very difficult and sad for everybody, I believe there are going to be many positives to come out of this. For instance, when we come back, I will strive to make this school year fun for EVERY student. Whether this is having a huge student section at games, or having good music that WE ALL HAVE A SAY IN at all of the dances. I have so many ideas that will take our school spirit, dances, assemblies, and everyday life at La Salle to the next level.

The part of this opportunity that I am looking forward to the most is giving back to you all by giving you opportunities to have a say in how our school year goes. I believe all of us have good ideas that could lead to an epic year and would love to hear every student’s suggestions. If elected, I will do my best to make this a year filled with hyped student sections, entertaining assemblies, and the best dances we’ve ever had!!”