2023 SU Senior Caucus Coverage

The Spectator will not endorse any Senior Caucus tickets this spring due to questionable communication among all three tickets. The Spectator is currently conducting an investigation.

Margaret Mikhalevsky & Yashna Patel 

DYNAMIC: Mikhalevsky and Patel have a well-developed relationship and friendship. Mikhalevsky first met Patel during their time in Sophomore Caucus when Patel was Chief of Staff and Mikhalevsky was President. They worked together as Co-Presidents in the junior caucus and have collaborated on multiple popular events. Both are good friends and complement each other professionally. On top of that, this ticket aims to have a strong relationship with the future senior student body, prioritizing communication and open policies. 

PLATFORM: From a confirmed collaboration with the College Essay Guy to the continuation of senior traditions, the Mikhalevsky-Patel platform is packed to the brim with both ambitious and realistic policies. Some academic policies include the aforementioned collaboration and an optimal Google Classroom to help seniors meet college deadlines and avoid procrastination on supplemental essays. They also plan to continue what worked during their time in Junior Caucus—open policies of communication on social media about prom and academic resources. They are eager to impact the student body through not only educational opportunities but also recreation. From providing merch to the winners of superlative votes to having a senior conga line at the end of the year, Mikhalevsky-Patel is not scared to try new things. The ticket is aware of what current senior traditions work well, such as the senior sunrise and spirit week, and they are planning to keep and implement them accordingly.
OVERALL REVIEW: Mikhalevsky and Patel’s track record of caucus experience make them compelling candidates for Senior Caucus. The promised partnership between this caucus and crucial resources, such as the College Essay Guy, will prove to be vital for the student body. The Mikhalevsky-Patel ticket promises to maintain Stuyvesant traditions, including the senior college rejection wall and crush list, while also creating new ones. Overall, Mikhalevsky-Patel plans to continue senior traditions, suggest new policies that will be implemented from their experience, and integrate achievable ideas. The Spectator does not endorse the ticket.

Zidane Karim & Anthony Chen

DYNAMIC: Karim and Chen have much experience working with one another, having run StuyPy––one of the most popular coding clubs at Stuyvesant––together since freshman year. They build off each other well and are involved in the SU. Their interests and abilities are similar, with both having strong computer science skills.

PLATFORM: The Karim-Chen platform is primarily centered around easing the college application process for seniors, particularly during their first semester of senior year. They aim to utilize Google Calendar to keep the student body informed of important deadlines as well as guide students through the process of requesting recommendation letters from teachers—an ordeal that they deem challenging for those with social anxiety. In addition, they hope to foster an easygoing environment for seniors in their second semester but have failed to devise an action plan that will specifically cater to this goal. Aside from these policies directed toward seniors, the Karim-Chen ticket plans to ease the daily lives of the student body as a whole by using their proficiency in computer science. For example, they hope to make additions to the StuySchedule app, which Chen helped to create, including updates on escalator status and an option for students to add their own schedules to the app. Overall, the two recognize both the academic and social needs of students and have formulated unique plans geared toward meeting these needs.
OVERALL REVIEW: Chen and Karim both hold various leadership roles, have much experience in student government, and possess a strong dynamic. Their campaign is well-thought-out, as their policies and ideas play to their strengths. They know how to use their proficient areas to their advantage. The Spectator does not endorse the ticket.

Luis Vallejo & Tomas Levani

DYNAMIC: Levani and Vallejo have been friends since freshman year and have worked on numerous projects together, including the founding of multiple finance clubs and organizations. Both display compatible skill sets that allow them to collaborate well and have a wide array of abilities. Neither have student government experience but have had other leadership roles that have taught them skills they believe could carry over to caucus.

PLATFORM: Having a variety of experience in finance, the Levani-Vallejo platform is hyper-focused on managing the caucus budget. Their main idea is an annual fundraising drive in which clubs would use pre-existing funding to purchase goods from local businesses at low prices and then mark them up for sale, thereby theoretically multiplying club funding. To ensure feasibility, the Levani-Vallejo ticket plans to use surveys and smaller versions of the event to scale up and use this strategy to generate more funding for the Senior Caucus, which could then lower prom and graduation costs. These initiatives surrounding finances are ambitious but well-planned. Beyond money, though, Levani-Vallejo’s goals are vague. They mention increasing cultural immersion by partnering with certain clubs but fail to detail the logistics of this idea. They also wish to establish a program similar to Big Sibs but focused more on benefitting individual students and obtaining academic opportunities.

OVERALL REVIEW: Overall, the Levani-Vallejo ticket could provide a new perspective on how caucus funding should be distributed, being backed up by years of financial experience. Their monetary policies are solid, which makes them a good choice for students who want to see a fresh perspective brought to the caucus position. The Spectator does not endorse this ticket.