In the politically shrouded month of October, the student body of Stoughton High School held their own election to elect the President of the United States, as they unanimously decided they needed their own representatives to run. Several SHS students qualified for the ballot: Rylee Campbell (11), Nora Knoploh (12), Soren Vienneau (12), Helena King (12), Kaia Roe (12), and Lukas Harberg (12). But only one prevailed.

Policies of the candidates:
Rylee Campbell
High schools and middle schools provide 45 minutes after lunch for naptime
All high school Math grades are participation grades (as long as you aren’t going into a STEM-related career)
The national anthem is Fein or Party in the USA, which will be decided on by the people

Kaia Roe
Work and school weeks will be four days long
All schools are required to allow one 60-minute nap period per day

Alex Thiessen
Four-day school weeks nationwide
Maximum length homework capped at 20 minutes total
People over the age of 70 must redo their driver’s test every two years to prove they can still drive competently

Lukas Hartberg
At least a one-hour lunch is mandatory for all schools
It’s required to learn another language when you start school

Soren Vienneau
There’s a third dance during the winter
A nap room will be built
Hour-long lunch every day

Nora Knoploh
Free college tuition for all
A 45-minute long free period for all high school students every day after lunch! This can be used however needed: an extended lunch, a nap time, a study hall or a recess
Universal health care

Helena King
Free hot lunches
Week-long break the week of Halloween
Increase funding for extracurriculars/ the art and music programs.

Nora Knoploh won the election with 25.5% of the vote. She chose Alex Thiessen as her Vice President. On her win, she discussed her policies and the future of her presidency.
To implement her policies, she plans to change the school day, at least in Stoughton High School, to only six periods to allow for the 45-minute-long free period. While other school districts may need more specific attention, making space for the free period by dropping other periods is the general structure of her plan.
“They’ll have their first three [periods], then they’ll go to lunch, and then they’ll go to their 45-minute free period […] then they’ll go to their last three. I think it’s just important for high schoolers to have a time where they can reset themselves halfway through the day,” Knoploh said.
On the topic of her plans for universal healthcare and free college education, Knoploh says she’ll have the billionaires pay for it.
“All of our checks will just be sent to [the billionaires] because I feel like if you have that much money, you should be able to use your intelligence and your business skills and your resources to just make it back and help others,” Knoploh said.
Additionally, Knoploh plans to enact a few of Thiessen’s policies too.
“I do like the four-day school week, I think if it was Monday through Thursday instead of Monday through Friday, I would really like that,” Knoploh said.
She also found the idea of capping the number of minutes for homework per day appealing. However, while she found the idea of testing drivers after a certain age a good idea, she thought of going about it in a different way.
“If we did something where you would have to get retested at the age of 50 or something [and] you have to get retested every five years, like a health screening, that would be good,” Knoploh said.
Knoploh plans to make her presidency a good one.
“I have the much-needed skills to lead the country and be a responsible president, and I think that having the support of my peers will make it go smoothly,” Knoploh says.
“Thank you for voting for me. I really appreciate it. I’m ready to make this country great. We’re building a better tomorrow, and I appreciate your support,” Knoploh concluded.