Breaking the traditions set by the previous years of Hornet Leadership Board class officer elections, the junior class counted their votes for president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and spirit makers at the start of second semester. 

A typical election would have taken place at the beginning of the school year and the votes would have been collected through a school-wide poll. 

This year, the juniors in the club voted during one of their meetings, after each position’s candidate gave a brief pitch on why they would best fit the position they were running for. 

Each position has been decided on and these newly appointed students will be responsible for taking initiative in—the clubs main goal—fundraising for their class’ senior prom. 

Sara Attia Saad, elected as president of the Hornet Leadership Board, will lead the club’s meetings along with the sponsors.  She will be the main coordinator for fundraising events. 

Working in tandem with Saad is the Vice President, Krishigani Luthra.  Her job is to assist the president in her responsibilities. She also is in charge of the coordinating and purchasing of supplies when necessary for prom fundraising events. Her creativity will be put to work as her duties require her to serve as a lead brainstormer on ways to increase the club’s profits.

Luthra is involved in many other clubs at Hinsdale South: Peer Leadership Network, Vespa, and National Honors Society. Outside of school she is a student on the advisory board for a nonprofit organization called Mutual Ground, a shelter and hotline for domestic abuse. She has a younger brother and in her free time she enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, and listening to music. 

“I ran as vice president to expose myself to the responsibility of being on the board and be someone who everyone can rely on during the process of fundraising for prom,” said Luthra when asked on why she chose to run. 

The secretary that has been elected is Noelle Waterman.  Her job deals with organization and documenting: she adds to a continuous Google document at each meeting to keep record of what has been discussed in each meeting. This can be in terms of roles, dates, and times of fundraising events. 

Noelled described her decision for running, “I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to expand my connections at South and have a voice in the organizational aspect of fundraisers and school-spirit events”. 

A fun fact about Waterman is that she has been playing travel softball since she was seven years old. She also loves creating mixed media art, crocheting, and watching horror movies. 

The treasurer that has been appointed to the board is Audrey Mulgrew. She will handle all the financial aspects of the junior class prom fund, –meaning– she will coordinate the cash box and be responsible for filling out a deposit slip at the end of each event. Her job also accounts for reporting to the group on how much they have raised in the account after significant changes. 

Mulgrew is a dedicated softball player committing her time to playing on South’s varsity team and the Outlaws 18u travel team. She is a VESPA Editor and works with her older sister—the yearbook staff’s editor and chief— in making the school’s yearbook. She participates in many clubs: Wounded Warriors, Key Club, and National Honors Society. In her spare time she engages in hanging out with friends, going to South’s sporting events, and traveling.

The treasurer position is the one she chose to run for because she likes to manage her own money and trusts herself doing it for the club.

The Leadership Board also has a dual position role. Brookelyn Baur and Camden Kiefer have been elected as the club’s Spirit Makers. They create flyers, posters, and announcements publicizing the fundraising events. 

Baur spends her afternoons practicing on South’s varsity Badminton team. 

Kiefer balances her time between school work, being on the varsity softball team, and participating in numerous clubs. 

“I’ve always considered myself a natural born leader and running for the board gives me an opportunity to learn more about leadership and use that in future roles,” said Camden Kiefer as an explanation for why she ran for Spirit maker. 

This year, the Junior Hornet Leadership Board has already had success in their fundraising efforts with selling coupon cards. These cards can be purchased in room 247 before school or after school.