Slate 3 Outlasts Slates 1 and 2 at Modified Convention

Convention, a longtime tradition at SVHS, concluded in dramatic fashion in an adapted format to follow COVID-19 regulations. Caroline Studdert, Emma Melendy, and Ferne Alvarez of Slate #3 knocked out Slate #2 in the opening round and Slate #1 in the final round to become the first all-female convention winners in SVHS history.

   Caroline Studdert, who is the Student Voice in the victorious Slate 3, happily states that it “feels great to be the first all-girls slate  to  win because it helps break barriers.”

   Students across all grades viewed Convention live as teachers screen-shared the festivities in the C-Day Zoom Meetings. Some of the content, such as the campaign videos, raps, and discussion questions, was pre-recorded. Other activities, such as the lip-sync and open-mic questions, were streamed live. 

   Studdert also acknowledged the struggles of having the Convention take place in the new format, but states that it was “put together really well by Slate 5, and it was especially impressive because of  COVID-19 restrictions. It was lots of fun preparing for the event, even if it was changed a bit.”

   The broadcasting of the entire day was made possible by Mr. Hansen, who set up several cameras and streamed the footage live to an online platform. The majority of teachers used their class time to watch the Convention live, and students whose classes were not viewing the event had access to the link to watch the festivities on their own devices.

   The competition began with each slate showing their campaign video. This gave the participants the opportunity to showcase their creativity and introduce themselves. Over the next three hours, the slate expressed their ideas in both creative and formal ways. Organizers of the modified event stuck to a similar format as previous years, with the rap battles, lip syncs, and rock-paper-scissors tournaments taking center stage. 

   The event culminated in a tense standoff between Slate #1, composed of Joe Di Vita, Rollo Benstead, and Dominic Girish, and the eventually victorious Slate #3. During the final round of questions, Slate #3 placed an emphasis on the importance of diversity and connection and assured viewers that their outreach and presence in different demographics made them the superior choice. After a quarter of an hour was spent pushing out the online Google Forms poll, the winner was announced, and Slate #3 secured the victory in their bid for Convention glory.

   “It’s a great feeling to win,” admits Studdert, “but what’s most important is our work moving forward.”