Ah, democracy. That ever-present staple of American life. That glimmering hope of liberty. That amazing system that ensures the right of the people to be governed.

Democracy is normally defined as, “A system of government by the whole population or all eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.”

That is just what students of Pitman High participated in during our Election Week. On May 8th, Pitman elected its shiny, brand-new officers for the 2018-2019 school year. The results are as follows:

• Music Tech: Isaias Aguilar & Marcus Garza
• Activities Commissioners: Avery Carlson & Madison Moreno
• Treasurer: Denzel Stekwren
• Secretary: Emmanuel Khoushabeh
• Vice President: Nolan Lok
• President: Noor El-Nounou

During these crazy times of excitement, The Roaring Times was able to snag an interview with our new president, Noor El-Nounou, and vice president, Nolan Lok!

“For me,” El-Nounou comments, “the biggest reason I wanted to become president is because I felt I had something new and different to offer Pitman. I just felt like there is a difference between doing things that need to be done and making a change, and I felt like both [Nolan and my] heads together can bring something new to the table.”

Lok also shares, “I actually didn’t plan on running for vice president. However, when Noor asked me to be her vice I told her I’d think about it. I remember very vividly because I was at lunch with my girlfriend Gabrielle and I told her how it was nice to be asked. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Noor and I would make a great team and we could really do something great for our school.”

A huge part of Election Week is the campaigning. “I’ll be honest,” El-Nounou states, “campaigning isn’t my favorite thing to do because I feel like sometimes I’m coming up to new people I haven’t met before and just do something for me which felt insensitive but I knew that’s what you have to do to get your name out there. But other than that, making the posters and coming up with fun ways to put ourselves out there was really fun!”

Normally, students running for offices adorn the campus with fun and exciting posters promoting their campaign. Lok and EL-Nounou’s perhaps most iconic poster was hung in the B-Building and said, “Stand with Noor and Nolan.” Students were able to take pictures with it to signify their support for the now president and vice president.

“So I am not the best at making posters,” Lok shares, “but, as you know, Noor is very good. Making the posters was much more fun than I anticipated. We had a fun party, don’t get me wrong it was long (about 9 hours), but I enjoyed it. Through [Election] week it was amazing to see how supportive everyone was. People I didn’t even know stopped me in the hallways to tell me they were voting for us. Just talking to more people and getting to know them was a truly amazing experience.”

Election Week was, you guessed it, a total week of endless campaigning and excitement. People running for office were able to give speeches at the amphitheater during Elections on the Green during lunch and really inspired the school.

Finally, on May 8th, Sonny Uppal, Pitman’s 2017-2018 president, announced the results of the 2018-2019 election.

El-Nounou shares, “When I found out I won, I was so happy! I was just over the moon that Pitman chose Noor and Nolan as our 2018 President and Vice President! The best part was when they announced that we won my whole class was just as happy as I was which made me feel very supported and just thankful that I have such amazing peers around me that support us! I felt so blessed to have been given such an amazing opportunity and so proud to be apart of the Pride!”

Lok also shares, “I was definitely nervous all week. However my nerves hit their apex when I heard Sonny on the loudspeaker. It was such a relief after I heard Noor’s name (I couldn’t make out mine because my class was cheering too loud).”

A really obvious hole in the elections of the past have been what these newly elected people hope to achieve through their new position. El-Nounou and Lok are unique in that they don’t see elections as merely a popularity contest- they have a clear vision.

El-Nounou comments, “For this next school year, we would love to unite Pitman as much as possible. We want to make Pitman a place for not just certain groups on campus but a place for all students! We would love to start new events that celebrate equality, celebrate our differences, and show that the things that make us different are the things that make us special!”

“I hope to make things much more accessible to Pitman’s students next year,” Lok adds. “I’d love if everyone on campus felt more included in some way, even if it’s just having many more things the students can vote on.”

Pitman has once again welcomed a new president and vice president. Hopefully, El-Nounou and Lok can make this upcoming year for Pitman the best yet!

“I just want to thank everyone for not just voting for us, but for really making me feel apart of something great. Pitman rocks!” Lok says.

“I am so honored to be your president,” El-Nounou concludes, “and I cannot thank you enough for making this a reality! Please don’t hesitate to come up to me and let me know if you have any ideas, suggestions, or concerns because I would love to hear them. Or even if you just want to say hello, I would love to hear your voice!”