Hey everyone!! Our names are Jacob Hort and Caroline Madsen, and you’ve probably seen us, well, just about anywhere. The two of us have attended Fieldston together since before we knew how to tie our shoes (Jacob still continues to struggle with this…) We have been through the highs and lows, seen the good and the bad, and have thrown ourselves into all of the opportunities Fieldston has to offer. It’s safe to say that for both of us, Fieldston is our home, and everyone here—both students and faculty- are our family. We both have a long history with Fieldston, which is one reason why this school is so important to us. If you don’t believe us, just open the 1960 Fieldglass to see the first year Jacob’s family joined the Fieldston community. One thing we can promise you is that we have the ULTIMATE BOND, our bond is like no other. Forged by ballroom dancing together in the most sweaty and awkward time of our lives— fifth grade when we hated each other because Caroline was one inch taller— we can assure you that we are the perfect team.
We love Fieldston because we are unique— no other school is like us. What really makes Fieldston unique is our diverse student body. Fieldston is composed of people who break the status quo—Fieldston students do not fit into boxes. Fieldston students are a combination of artists, athletes, scholars, and activists. In recent years, we have sensed a disconnect within the Fieldston community— whether this is a product of a large shift in administration or the Covid-19 pandemic— and we are determined to combat this issue and bring together our Fieldston family. When we sat down to talk about how we wanted to approach this campaign, we knew we wanted it to be truthful to who we are and what change we truly want to see in our school right now. We could make a bunch of empty promises and get your hopes up for things that are just out of our control, or we could just pick one theme that we know we can make a difference in that would affect the daily lives of everyone. We chose community.
Community to us takes many different forms: working together to lift each other up, having fun with friends, celebrating each other’s work and achievements, and caring for the amazing facilities we have access to, among several other things. One thing that we have seen a large shift in throughout the years is the Student Commons. Lets be honest, at this point the STUDENT Commons is not a place for students. The commons used to be buzzing with energy: friends talking, playing games such as foosball and ping pong, and just hanging out and relaxing when not in class. We have seen the commons transform from a place for students to hang out to a place for presentations and info sessions. Through our leadership, we want to restore the commons to what it once was: a place for students.
We want to bring the community closer together by doing more fun stuff as a WHOLE school. One of our plans to achieve this is by creating a cross-grade event based on the popular game “Assassins” (we are changing the name to make it more family-friendly!!! <3). The game will be similar to how it is commonly played; however, we are putting a Fieldston spin on it! The game serves as a fun event for students, but it will also help communities in need. To do this, students will pay a small fee in order to play the game. All of the money raised from the game will go to a charity (voted on by students). We want this game to become a Fieldston tradition that will forever bring together the Fieldston community— even after ALL of us graduate. So far we have spoken to Dean Harris, Sr. Randolph, and even a person who works in Fieldston fundraising— each one is optimistic we can make this event happen! We are dedicated and passionate about bringing the Fieldston community together and doing good in the world outside of our small community. We promise you that if we are elected we will fight to make change happen!
Another point important to us is sustainability. Have you ever walked past the trash cans at the end of lunch? Well if you haven’t- very often they are full with leftover food. We hope to partner with the environmental club and the kitchen team to help minimize our food waste and use and enhance the composting system here on campus. We will also do small things that will make a big difference, like reducing the amount of single use plastics in the cafeteria. Helping the community includes helping the environment we are in.
The last point we will touch on is student life. Have you ever been playing in a sports game and the only people there are parents and younger siblings who are obligated to go? We know this is said all of the time- but we really mean it. We need people at sports games! No, it doesn’t just happen in movies! Imagine: dress ups, food trucks, and maybe even cheering on your classmates. To cause more hype around these events, we will work with the administration and Gus to have a pep rally for every season. Because we know sports aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, we also want to do a better job of promoting the arts. While there are student galleries all of the time in the bottom of the art building, we want to make sure that everyone can see the brilliant creativity that our student body possesses. We also will set up music performances in our revamped student commons. We will work to have art displayed all around campus throughout the school year, supporting our peers and making our campus more beautiful in the process. And finally, merch! Better school merch! Enough said.
We know we just threw a bunch of information at you, but just know this: we are the voice for community. No one loves this place more than us. If you take away anything from this, whether we win or not, let it be that the two of us will work or butts off to make sure that Fieldston is a place where everyone feels connected, comfortable, and celebrated.
