Story by Simon Forbes, Orono; Edited and Illustrated by Lindley Johnson
YIG prides itself in its acting recreation of the democratic system. Nothing exemplifies this more than the annual elections, symbolizing the epitome of democracy. For good reason, the Gubernatorial Race often takes the front of mind for most delegates. This year the conference stages a highly contested race between three tickets. Below is a preview on the main candidates, their talking points, beliefs, and even a sneak peek at a preliminary poll.
Vibhakar-Mukhopadhyay: Eisha Vibakhar of Wayzata and Ankit Mukhopadhyay of Eagan run their campaign through three words, “Commitment, Vision, and Passion,” They focus on unlocking these three things in each student,through active leadership and bringing conference-goers closer together.
Vibhakar was previously the speaker of Myers House and is currently serving within Governor Sarazhynskyy’s cabinet. Outside of YIG she has served on Student Council for the last 3 years, competes in DECA, and has a long past of community/cultural volunteering. Mukhopadhyay was previously the president of Smith Senate and is currently serving within Lt. Governor Barker’s cabinet. Outside of YIG he has competed in Speech and Debate for the last three years, he serves in the Student Council and is also the Math Team Captain.
O’Malley-Olhoft: Vivien O’Malley of St. Anthony Village and Sofie Olhoft of Mounds View say their mission is to “Let your voice SHINE!” They look to get this done by Supporting, Highlighting, and Elevating fellow delegates.
O’Malley holds her roots within the Courts, previously serving as the administrator for the Court of Appeals; she, like Vibhakar, serves within Sarazhynskyy’s cabinet. Outside of YIG, she participates in NHS, and volunteers with the League of Women Voters and the Youth Voter Project. Ohloft has her roots stemming from the legislature, she was a floor leader of Smith Senate in previous years and currently serves with Mukhopadhyay in Barker’s cabinet. Outside of YIG, Ohloft has strong theater experiences as a Shakespeare and Theatre Properties captain, and also volunteers with the League of Women Voters and Youth Voter Project.
McCormick-Keto: Elizabeth McCormick of Northfield and Anna Keto see their campaign as a way to open up to others. They plan to ensure this by creating more flyers in non-English languages, and creating more student led content.
McCormick and Keto stand as dark horse candidates, as unlike O’Malley and Vibhaker, they are sophomores. McCormick has built her path through the legislature; she stands as the current speaker of Myers House. Outside of YIG, McCormick serves on her school council, the Minnesota youth council. Keto has her roots within the courts as an administrator and has participated at Model UN in the past. When she isn’t participating in the conference, she advocates for environmental causes, competes in national history day and is an avid swimmer and skier.
The Poll: The poll we conducted by surveying over 70 students had important results. Students across all program areas from Leadership Corps to the Supreme Court, to the Knutsen Senate. Vibhakar-Mukhopadyay led the polling with a total of 61%. With O’Malley-Ohloft, and McCormick-Keto reporting 27%, and 11% respectively. More detailed and recent findings can be seen in the link below: