Junior Samuel Au felt the pressure of the audience’s gaze as he walked to the podium. His tension slowly faded as he stood before his classmates and delivered a rehearsed speech. He ended his address by tearing his sheet in half, and the crowd gave a thundering applause.
Au and four other candidates campaigning for the Student Board Member position gave speeches to freshmen, sophomores and juniors in the gym during RAMS from Feb. 25 to March 1.
Au was elected as the new Student Board Member of the 2019-2020 school year on March 4.
“I believe that I had relevant topics that appealed to many people, without giving them promises that would be impossible to carry out,” Au said. “I also had a strong social media presence, which helped me campaign to many people.”
As Student Board Member, Au’s responsibilities are to report major activities and events around the district to the Board. His job is to represent all the schools in TCUSD.
Au must also bring up important topics during Board meetings for discussion, such as school and student needs. The Board then reviews the information before deciding whether or not to take action. However, Au does not have a vote on the board.
His first priority is to advocate for more tables and benches on the high school campus.
“I remember that when I was a freshman, I always had to sit on the ground because there weren’t enough tables and benches for everyone,” Au said. “Over the years, I haven’t seen this problem fixed, and I still see many people sitting on the floor during lunch.”
Au will also push for newer computers for schools all over the district.
“I feel that the technology at our school continues to be outdated,” Au said. “I think that students should get the best learning experience, and having efficient technology makes that easier.”
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