Ben Kauffman

Ben has  been involved in student government since middle school. His interests began as a young student with big ambitions. In the 5th grade, Ben first started to show interest in student government; he ran for the position of treasurer. Ben has secured that position in the high school as well.

Many reasons sparked his  interest in representing the student body. Ben said, “My older sister Molly and her friends explained the duties and responsibilities that come from holding a position. From their advice, I ran for treasurer. Also, I have always found an interest in money and finances. I thought i would start my interest early on.”

Ben’s goal as a  2017 officer is to “secure our name in the high school.”  Ben would like to make an everlasting presence in our school. Ben said, “Also, my goal is to begin fundraising in order to carry out events in the future. Some of these events include t-shirt sales to raise revenue and boost spirit.” In addition, Ben’s main priority is to secure their Junior Prom date with the money earned from prior events.

When asked what he would change about Bernards, Ben responded, “Bernardsville High school is a sufficient and safe environment for the students. Our high school provides a healthy atmosphere for students to gain an proper education. Although this school has provided a home for four years to many students, the workload and demand from teachers is extravagant. Teachers expect too much from their students providing them with an excess of homework when they also have sports. Many students come home late and don’t have time to do homework.”

Max Stanley

Max has been involved in student government for a year now, since being elected Vice President at the end of his Freshman year. Max has always had an interest in government and politics and he felt student council is an advantageous precursor  for a career in the realm of government. Max said, “I wanted to display my dedicated to my class by representing them as well as answering their wishes to make our high school experience memorable.”

Max said, “One major project that the officers and I have already discussed in Junior Prom. This is by far the largest project our class government has ever undertook. However, with the guidance of Ms. Cerza, the class officers and I will execute the event flawlessly and will strive to make it one of the most memorable experiences of high school.”  Max’s main goal for the next year is to encourage more school spirit and class unity. Max said, “Our final project of this year was met with boredom and indifference. My grade’s lackluster attitude toward the t-shirt sale was disappointing.”  Max wants to emphasize that one of the main goals of the sale is to created class unity.

If Max could change anything about Bernards, it would be the attitudes of students regarding school spirit and unity. Max said, “I would encourage more classmates to be more dedicated to their school. Students who are dedicated will be more motivated to get involved in class fundraisers and projects.”

 Pedro Safi

Pedro has been involved in the student government since sixth grade, when he first moved into Bernardsville Middle School.He originally tried it to put himself out there and make some new friends- which I did. Pedro said, “It is about creating a sense of community and representing your classmates’ wants, being their voice.”

As an incoming Junior, Pedro’s main focus for this year is fundraising for Junior Prom. As the year progresses, Pedro said, “I will shift my focus into future matters, as well as building up to a stable financial status, where we will be able to have some freedom with our decisions and events.”

The hardest part about Bernards according to Pedro is,  “The 7:45am start time. In all seriousness, if I were to change one thing about the school it would be to ensure the creation of more student-run activities. As high schoolers, I believe we should be able to run more activities without the constant need of a teacher or advisor nearby. We are supposed to be mature enough at this point in time to handle things on our own without 24/7 supervision. Of course, these events would have to be school-appropriate and legal, but part of learning some real-life skills includes being able to execute things without having someone watching over your shoulder all the time.”

Other candidates include: Luke Stauffer and Jake Epstein.