Groh, Lessem Elencave win student LSC spots

Through his two years at Lane, Sean Groh has already been in more elections than most Lane kids will have their whole high school career.

Two Student Council president election wins, one Local School Council (LSC) student representative loss and now an LSC student representative win.

I think a lot of people know my name now,” Groh said after his victory in the LSC student representative race on Monday. “I think it’s important to get your voice out there, your name out there. Flyers, of course, were important as well.”

Groh, the current sophomore class president, and junior Dayla Lessem Elnecave won the two spots in Monday’s elections, after a recent CPS announcement that LSCs were required to have three student representatives. Groh finished with 86 votes, Lessem Elnecave finished with 27 and freshman Fernando Garcia fell short with 18.

While the election was technically a “nonbinding advisory poll,” the LSC swore in the two members during their meeting on Nov. 18. Goth and Lessem Elnecave will join senior Dayana Bautista, who is currently serving her term as a student representative.

“I think it’s important that not only one representative takes the voice of 5000 people,” Groh said. “And it’s nice too because we have a senior, a junior and now a sophomore on the LSC.”

For Lessem Elnecave, this win marked the continuation of her family’s time on LSCs, something she was excited to do.

“When I was in elementary school my mom was on the LSC,” Lessem Elnecave said. “So, I was already always going to meetings and it always seem[ed] to be a really cool way to be able to have influence over what happens in school.”

Both of the new representatives have their own ways they’re hoping to influence the school.

Groh’s campaign message relied mainly on communication between the LSC and the students. 

He hopes students will get involved in the LSC, through public participation and by reaching out to him.

“Please don’t be afraid to reach out,” Groh said. “If you’re not able to attend a meeting, or you just don’t feel comfortable talking in front of the LSC, I’m always happy to relay your message.”

Groh also is hoping to work with the LSC on quickly finding a new symbol, adding more gender-neutral bathrooms and creating a LGBTQ+ board at Lane.

As Lessem Elnecave starts her term, she says she just wants to remind students that the school is there to help them.

“This is our school and we should be able to have influence over it and how it runs and how it functions because at the end of the day the school is not meant for teachers, it’s not meant for parents,” she said. “It’s meant to help us and it’s meant to help us learn.”

 

Aidan Sadovi contributed reporting