Student Body Candidate Intros

With spring coming into full bloom, the student-body presidential election in May is fast approaching. Six junior candidates have pledged to put their names on the ballot: Andrew Goodale, Randy Liu, Asher Mathai, Connor Souryal, Toby Rosenband, and Rohan Vesely. But who are these candidates, and what do they plan to do? Is the short two minute speech on election day enough time to convey a candidate’s platform for the entire year ahead? To provide a basic introduction for each candidate so that students can get a sense of who their options will be in a few months' time, the News spoke with each candidate about who they are and what they hope to accomplish. 

Andrew Goodale is a 12-year Gilman man (going on 13) and active in both the football and lacrosse program, as well as a solid contributor to indoor track. Andrew hopes to bring back “the Ben Weinfeld era” of Gilman. Put simply, he wants spirit. He plans to revise the spirit committee and “make them an active part in everyday games and performances.” Nothing angers him more than an empty student section, which we’ve seen a lot of recently. Andrew has some secretive plans to strengthen the community, but he’s waiting for the election to unveil them. He also hopes to make better use of community time by creating gradewide events, and even suggested bringing back long lunches.One phrase defines his campaign, it’s “bang the G!”

Randy Liu, an experienced candidate due to his current role as junior class president, aspires to preserve the traditions “that make Gilman so wonderful.” He cited Silent Night and the Pep Rally as a few, ensuring they would be carried out perfectly and meticulously. Not only does he hope to maintain the legacy of these traditions and even increase student turnout, but also he plans to bring back old traditions, such as the Gilman Carnival. He explained, “game booths would be set out for guys to play, and a haunted house would be up in the wrestling room. It would be a day of fun for the Upper, Middle, and Lower Schools to come together.” All in all, his term would be focused on making Gilman “a close, tight knit community.” He also mentioned that he would guarantee the ongoing success of dances “with great themes and great music.” Randy ended the interview by saying, “I really do love Gilman, our class, and our community and I want to make sure that the class of 2026’s last year is really special.”  

Asher Mathai came to Gilman in eighth grade and is involved in soccer, IM basketball, One Love, and Peer education. Asher is excited for the election and “would be honored to be the president.” He hopes to build “a tight-knit community where all facets of Gilman life—athletic, musical, and social—come together.” Asher also promised some projects that he’s saving to announce on election day, “I also have a couple ideas for fun events and new twists on athletic games and advisory that will make next year awesome.” 

Connor Souryal, starting kicker for the varsity football team, “wants us to have a great year with more fun, fewer headaches, and no unnecessary drama.” Connor promises to bring “real solutions” to the problems that really matter to us, such as “sweatshirts and headphones during the day.” Connor mentioned that he hates being lied to, and pledged that he will remain honest and upfront throughout his term in office. Connor concluded his interview by saying, “If you want a leader who listens and keeps it real, a vote for Sour gives the student body power.”

Toby Rosenband, three-year varsity baseball prodigy and occasional GTV commentator, is really excited to run for student body president and is looking forward to working with the administration. Toby “has a lot in store” for the student body, specifically “some stuff with community time, that I know will bring us closer as a community.” He can’t wait to lead us through a great 2026 year, and thinks there is a lot of room to grow as a community, “such as cookouts, stuff that brings people together.” Toby ended his interview by raising his fist in pride and exclaiming: “Vote Toby ‘26!” 

Rohan Vesely is notorious around campus for his volleyball prowess and makes an impact as an offensive midfielder on the lacrosse field. Making his plans clear immediately, Rohan intends to make “a priority of grade-wide spirit and cohesiveness across classes.” Given his experience in big games, Rohan hopes to increase the size of student sections not only on the athletic front but also at performances, a goal of former presidents Pitman Smyth ‘24 and Ben Weinfeld ‘23. Rohan’s whole campaign really has its foundation in spirit. He cited his successful introduction of the eighth-grade dance as middle school student body president a few years ago as evidence of what’s to come. Rohan believes that his close ties to the administration will allow him to bring positive change to our community. 

The 2025 election will be unlike years past due to the large candidate pool. Rather than the typical four-candidate pool of prior years, it seems that in the upcoming election, students will have at least six, perhaps more, students to choose from. With so many options, the spectacle will come down to the wire and each candidate’s speech is sure to have a great impact. For preliminary polling on the presidential election, read the “Election Preview” article, also featured in this issue.