Two juniors to run for TASC executive office elections
March 3, 2016
Juniors Grace Fielder and Maggie Kimber are running for executive board president and vice president, respectively, of the Tennessee Association of Student Councils (TASC).
The last time a Bearden student ran for an executive position was three years ago, and the last time a Bearden student ran for president or vice president was four years ago.
This year will be the first time that two Bearden students have joined a campaign for different offices. Fielder and Kimber have been close friends for years and have worked together in SGA since middle school.
“Grace is like an extension of my subconsciousness,” Kimber said. “Everything I think, I tell her.”
The president is responsible for leading meetings and representing the students at TASC, and the vice president will be in charge of planning the service project and facilitating elections next year. Last year’s service project involved sending care packages to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and this year it will likely be something similar.
During the election, each school gets a certain number of votes depending on their representation at TASC. Candidates campaign on the first night of TASC, and students vote on the following afternoon.
“[Fielder and Kimber] have been a part of SGA since middle school, so they’ve been really involved,” SGA sponsor Mr. Cody Martin said. “They have great leadership qualities that will be a help to TASC.”
Fielder and Kimber’s campaign theme is St. Patrick’s Day. Their posters and T-shirts feature green, shamrocks, rainbows, and gold, and they will also be making tutus. Fielder said that they want to make more of a “trademark” than a campaign.
Fielder’s goals are expanding TASC and getting to know “most, if not all” the students there, in addition to representing them well. She had thought about running in previous years, but this year considered it more seriously.
“I just thought of it as something I have a passion for, and if you have a passion for something, why not go for it?” Fielder said.
Kimber said that she decided to run because she has enjoyed TASC in the past and wants to ensure that other students get a similar experience.
“What’s most important to me is that we continue to grow the organization and keep it to the standard that it’s been since I’ve been a part of it, because it’s been such a big part of my life and it’s shaped me in so many ways,” Kimber said.