When the torch was passed from former student body president Leo Gerst to new student body president Dylan Kessler, a new senior class was inducted. As the new leaders of the school, Student Government Association (SGA) president Dylan Kessler expresses how the class “will be forced to take on leadership roles,” however, the rising seniors are ready for the responsibility.

At Emery, clubs typically are set up for seniors to take on leadership positions. This notion is further implemented with the SLT, or the Student Leadership Team, which is a committee of all of the leaders of the “Big Six” clubs including SGA, Tikkun Olam, Model United Nations (MUN), Emery Booster Club (EBC), National Honor Society (NHS), and Jewish Life Committee (JLC). The SLT facilitates the space for senior leaders to share their ideas and help support and promote one another’s events throughout the school year.
“Our class is marked by the COVID pandemic and online school. I feel like we have all become closer by having to go through this pandemic together,” says Dylan Kessler. Covid-19 hit the class of 2023 at the end of their freshman year, and the effects of the pandemic will last until their graduation. “COVID obviously took some of our time away,” says Tikkun Olam president Elsa Koenig, however it will not define the class for “it [senior year] will be a bonding experience, especially with Israel and the whole college admissions process.”
While the torch was officially passed just about a month ago, rising seniors have been preparing for this opportunity throughout their high school experience. NHS president Maya Friedberg expressed that “since I had been a freshman on SGA, I have looked forward to being on SLT.” Seniors that have leadership experience such as Friedberg, can help the Class o 2023 navigate through the challenges of being a senior. Kessler worries that “some kids in our grade might get ‘senioritis’ and slack off, as they will probably feel less motivated to do work”. The rhetoric that students are done with their academic duties as they enter senior year is false, and incoming seniors will have to make sure they do not fall victim to “senioritis”.