The McNicholas Milestone

By Isabella Daley

The McNicholas High School Class of 2021 elected their eleven new Student Council representatives on Thursday, Oct. 26, and the elected freshmen assumed their roles as leaders in the school.

The eleven freshman representatives for Student Council are Ayden Bailey, Nicholas Clark, Claire Crawford, Madeline Daley, Lainey Doggett, Aimee Gauger, Nic Gilg, Mary Nelson, Katia Roetenberger, Stella Umstead, and Ella Wolfram. They will soon vote to determine the president and vice president of the freshman class. Each of them aims to bring a unique personality and outlook to his or her new responsibilities. Not only did they share their preference of chocolate vs. vanilla with The Milestone but also what they hope to accomplish in their new role.

Ayden Bailey

Ayden Bailey attended St. Thomas More School prior to McNicholas, and he said he prefers chocolate over vanilla “any day of the week.” He played on the McNicholas soccer team this fall and has become involved in the theater. He said he plans to become involved with many other clubs and activities as well. “I look forward to becoming involved with new things and meeting so many new people,” Bailey said.

Bailey wanted to be on Student Council because he said he believes he “can make McNick a better place for all of the students, not just one person at a time.” He said he plans to help with the Student Council fundraisers and work on fixing up the water fountains around the school. He has already felt at home in the school, and he said he wants to help others feel that way. “I think my main mission as a student council member at McNick is to continue spreading the warm, friendly feeling it already teems with,” Bailey said.

Nicholas Clark

Nicholas Clark attended Guardian Angels School for grade school and said he would choose a chocolate and vanilla swirl over either flavor separately because “they’re both too good.” Clark said that he plans to become involved at McNicholas by playing on both the basketball and lacrosse teams this year. “I am most looking forward to meeting new people and building new relationships,” Clark said.

Clark wanted to be on Student Council in order to speak for others and help them be heard. He said he would also like to use his new role to start a new fundraiser for the school. “I wanted to be a part of Student Council so that I could be a voice for my peers,” Clark said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of [it].”

Claire Crawford

Claire Crawford went to Guardian Angels School before McNicholas, and she said she likes vanilla better than chocolate. Crawford has been volunteering at Camp Stepping Stones, and she said she is getting involved at McNicholas by playing on the tennis and lacrosse teams this year. Crawford said she is also participating in Spirit Club and Cooking Club.

Crawford decided to run for Student Council because she saw it as a way to “represent my class and get involved [at McNicholas].” She said her main goal for this year is to make McNicholas a better place than it already is. “I am looking forward to making friendships,” Crawford said.

Madeline Daley

Madeline Daley attended Cardinal Pacelli School, and she said she prefers vanilla over chocolate. At McNicholas, she has already become involved in band, Service Club, Spirit Club, Art Club, student ambassadors, Rockets for Life, cheerleading, and intramural volleyball. She said she is also proud of doing gymnastics at the Richard E. Lindner YMCA and her interest in aviation.

Daley chose to join Student Council based on a positive experience with it during grade school. “I was in Student Council at my old school, and I loved it,” Daley said. She said she would now like to use her position on Student Council to meet and become friends with everybody. “I want to help everyone to become a community of people,” Daley said. She also said she is looking forward to “maybe joining Dance Team and making wonderful, lifelong friends.”

Lainey Doggett

Lainey Doggett went to St. Veronica School for grade school. It was difficult for her to choose either chocolate or vanilla, but she settled for chocolate. Doggett played on the McNicholas volleyball team already this year, and she said she is hoping to join some new clubs as well.

Doggett wanted to be a part of Student Council because she wanted a chance to represent the students in her grade. She said that one of her goals for Student Council is to find a way to connect the students in each grade to each other. “I want to unite the grade levels and have all school activities so all the grades can interact,” Doggett said. She said she is excited about meeting new people and having new opportunities in high school, and she believes she can help McNicholas become a “community of friends.”

Aimee Gauger

Aimee Gauger went to St. Veronica School for grade school, and she said “I don’t pick favorites here” in regards to preferring either chocolate or vanilla. Gauger has become involved in band, Liturgy Choir, Cooking Club, Service Club, and student ambassadors at McNicholas, and she added that she also volunteers with her former music teacher outside of school.

Gauger wanted to join Student Council “to help see a change in the school and to make everyone’s experience great.” She said her primary goal for this year is to make sure that everyone is heard and has a voice. Gauger wanted everyone to know that she will not be judgmental. “I want to be someone they can turn to turn if they need to talk to someone,” Gauger said. Gauger promised to be open to all ideas, and she is looking forward to “meeting a bunch of new people and making a bunch of new friends.”

Nic Gilg

Nic Gilg attended Cardinal Pacelli School for grade school, and he said that he likes chocolate better than vanilla. Gilg said that his largest involvement is currently at the Cincinnati Art Museum in Downtown Cincinnati where he works, but he is planning to become involved in the McNicholas basketball and lacrosse teams.

Gilg wanted to be a part of Student Council in order to represent his class and “help make a difference.” He said he believes he can help bring attention to needs to aid his class. “I want to get in touch with the main problems that other people have,” Gilg said. In addition to that, Gilg said that he is ready to meet new people and become more involved at McNicholas.

Mary Nelson

Mary Nelson went to St. Thomas More School until she came to McNicholas, and she prefers chocolate instead of vanilla. Nelson played on the McNicholas volleyball team this year, and she said she is using Student Council as a way to become more involved. “I’m excited to be a part of Student Council,” Nelson said.

Nelson said she wanted to be a part of Student Council “so I can be a voice for the Class of 2021.” She made it her goal to be able to communicate between the students and the teachers so that she can share everyone’s concerns and suggestions for change in the school. “I came from a small grade school, and it’s exciting to meet new people,” Nelson said.

Katia Roetenberger

Katia Roetenberger was homeschooled up until high school, and she chose chocolate over vanilla. At McNicholas she has become involved with the academic team, played on the soccer team, and is planning to play on the softball team as well.

Since Roetenberger was homeschooled, she said she thinks she is capable of helping McNicholas make school life more comfortable. “I feel like I have a good view point since I’ve been homeschooled most of my life, and I feel like I can make the school more homelike,” Roetenberger said. She hoped to impact the school by fixing the parts of school life that are uncomfortable like wearing skirts, having to use the messy senior hall bathroom, and being booed by upperclassmen. “[Freshmen] should not be taken down by their upperclassmen,” Roetenberger said. She said she is looking forward to building a strong community at McNicholas because “the one thing that is really hard to get with being homeschooled is the feeling of community.”

Stella Umstead

Stella Umstead went to St. Veronica School for grade school, and she prefers vanilla over chocolate. Her main involvement at McNicholas so far has been playing on the volleyball team, but she said she plans to become involved in more activities at McNicholas in addition to Student Council.

Umstead chose to run for Student Council in order to make a difference at McNicholas. “I wanted to represent my class in a positive way,” Umstead said. She made it her goal to meet new people because she considers herself skilled at giving advice and helping others. She said she is looking forward to connecting with many new people.

Ella Wolfram

Ella Wolfram went to St. Veronica School before coming to McNicholas, and she chose a chocolate and vanilla swirl instead of picking one flavor because she likes the taste of both. Wolfram has already played on the McNicholas volleyball team, and she joined Cooking Club in order to become involved.

Wolfram wanted to be on Student Council so she could become a voice for her grade to communicate between the students and the staff. “I hope that I can help the student body in a positive way and aid the Class of 2021 through our years of high school,” Wolfram said. “I would like to impact the school in a positive way.” Wolfram said that she is looking forward to “all of the wonderful opportunities that will be brought up and creating strong friendships with new people.”