When you think about high school elections, the first thing that comes to mind is likely corny posters and pins with a punchy slogans. Our North Atlanta politicians took a different approach. The frontrunners of NAHS student government elections weren’t found on hallway flyers but performing eye-catching social media stunts. The student government elections have quickly become a battle of who can gather the most attention on social media, and (of course) the most votes. As campaigning strategies became increasingly ridiculous, North Atlanta students were more eager than ever to turn in their ballots.

The campaigning norm of past SGA elections has been proven effective, so why mix it up? Senator candidate Will Lazarus wanted to take his campaign to the next level to connect with his audience. He understood that a building of high schoolers is far different than the traditional American voter base, so he adjusted his tactics accordingly. “Other campaigning strategies are outdated at this point,” He said, “They won’t work with the youth.”

Lazarus was active on his social media campaign for weeks following the elections, but the stunts kept coming. One campaign strategy involved giving his sales pitch from the top of an abandoned building, while another recruited North Atlanta mothers to his campaign trail. Lazarus has collected mass attention across his social media, gathering over 10,000 views on his Tiktok. Although these videos may seem trivial, he firmly believes his social media presence will translate directly into the polls. According to him, “They need some campaign flow.”

Another SGA contender and competitor of Lazarus also believed a virtual approach was the way to go. His video, involving a photoshopped clip of explosions at various Atlanta area private schools, managed to rack up over 10,000 likes on social media. While it was received as satire, as intended, his campaign had gone outside the realms of North Atlanta High School and was deemed inappropriate. “Although the campaign gained groundbreaking support, I will have to try a different approach next year,” said the former candidate.

Undoubtedly, the daring acts of our North Atlanta politicians made this year one of the most exciting elections to date. Students were amused -and motivated to cast their vote- by the sheer amount of humor our candidates brought to the table. The student government seems to have cracked the (voting) code, so this year’s winners may be the most accurate representation of who the school truly wants to date. It looks like charisma and humor have made for a winning election season!