Who are the Student Body Co-Presidents-Elect?

A profile of next year’s leaders of student government.

Following a competitive school election last Friday, Gaby Alonso and Kwame Addison emerged as our new senior school presidents, succeeding Ty Fein and Therese Ejiofor, our current school presidents. 

Many boarding schools have on-campus jobs, and Gaby doesn’t want Middlesex to miss out on those opportunities. Thus, Gaby Alonso wants to “give students exposure to the real world” by offering student jobs to help adults in the equipment room, grill, or mailroom. After talking to Ms. Swain, Gaby has realized that although these jobs probably won’t be paid jobs, they will still count as community service hours and be a great way to help around the school and familiarize oneself with more people on campus.

To expand diversity and welcome more variety in food, Gaby proposes the idea of adding to the Flik menu and wants to foster the diverse backgrounds of Middlesex students. She states that she wants to see Flik increase their attempts to “cook traditional dishes during months in which affinity groups are celebrated, such as Black History Month or Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.” She plans on sending a Google Form to collect additional suggestions. In this way, Gaby will ensure “that our community is being seen [that is, through food].” This approach ensures that every student’s culture and heritage is acknowledged. 

Gaby also wants to add “a little to the fun side” of Middlesex. Thinking of ways to improve Middlesex’s beloved grill, Gaby hopes to add churros and pretzels to the menu. She has also been advocating for an outdoor basketball court. If enough students are interested, she hopes to make all these visions possible by talking to more of the relevant faculty about these issues.

Co-president Kwame Addison is keen on addressing long-standing issues, such as the recurrent issue of the dining hall overcrowding at the peak of lunch and the inconvenience caused by malfunctioning facilities, such as in dorms or academic buildings. Kwame believes that because students need to go through so many “hoops and boundaries to have their voices heard,” these problems are often reduced in importance or just neglected. To streamline this student feedback process, Kwame hopes to send response forms to receive all the concerns of Middlesex students.

While the Middlesex community is already close-knit, Kwame is eager to strengthen our bonds as a school in general. Kwame envisions achieving an improved campus life through activities like “occasional pranks or surprise food on campus.” Additionally, the presence of food trucks on some days could foster friendship and connections. Another of Kwame’s ideas is to have days during which each class hosts its own event, fostering a sense of community within classes.

From Gaby’s idea of on-campus jobs to Kwame’s plans to bring the community closer, Middlesex students can rest assured that they will be in good hands and that their voices will matter.

Allison Luo