Sophomore Caucus: Zoey Marcus and Josephine Yoo

RECORD: Both Marcus and Yoo have fairly impressive leadership experience and have shown initiative in trying to establish changes to better their community. Yoo was the co-founder of the Asian American Association at her middle school, is a co-founder of an upcoming music club, and serves as a member of various sports teams at Stuyvesant. Marcus was the leader of her middle school’s student council, a position that allowed her to reform policies impacting the student body and better understand the needs of the student body. She is also part of various extracurriculars like the Stuyvesant Theater Community and the speech and debate team.

DYNAMIC: Since Marcus and Yoo went to the same middle school and have been friends since then, they work very well together. They also ran for Freshman Caucus together, so they’ve had experience in campaigning with each other. During an interview with The Spectator, both of them were able to bounce off of each other’s ideas well in the sense that once one person finished talking, the other was able to add more details or examples without hesitation.

POLICIES: A big part of ZOJO’s pillars revolves around inclusion, which is why they plan to create prayer rooms for those with religious lunches and increase menstrual product and toilet paper accessibility and quality through fundraisers. Marcus and Yoo also plan to revise the escalator system by ensuring that whenever an escalator breaks down, the escalator that is still working will be switched to the up direction. They have started reaching out to the administration regarding this problem, which shows how they have already been upholding their pillar of efficiency.

The Marcus-Yoo ticket is a highly competent and qualified ticket that would capably spearhead the class of 2025 through their sophomore year. Their platform emphasizes the four pillars of EPIC: efficiency, practicality, inclusion, and compassion through a balance of feasible and ambitious policies.

Part of Marcus and Yoo’s plan to uphold their inclusion pillar includes providing prayer rooms for those with religious lunch. They have heard complaints about the lack of accessible places to pray, so religious lunch is often only inclusive in name. The pair already has some places in mind and hopes to collaborate with the Muslim Students Association, the Junior and Senior Caucuses, the Student Union, and the administration to bring true inclusivity to religious lunch. They also wish to hold a multicultural day when students can come in wearing clothing specific to their cultures and bring in food after school to celebrate in the cafeteria. Of course, there will be restrictions and transparency regarding food ingredients. In the practicality pillar, Marcus and Yoo plan to allocate funding toward improving bathroom supplies, such as feminine hygiene products and toilet paper, as well as advocate for more flexibility when swiping in and out of the school building during free periods. Otherwise, they have standard homework policy suggestions which are unlikely to budge administratively, but it is admirable that they have a detailed plan of action. These are some of the Marcus-Yoo ticket’s policies that could realistically affect the student body.

As for fun events, Marcus and Yoo have some creative and enjoyable activities planned, like a Dave and Buster’s arcade event, a post-AP party, and a sophomore dance. They hope to make sophomore year a fun experience filled with unique events throughout the year. Their advocacy for said policies may be unsuccessful, as many Sophomore Caucuses past and present have found, but if there is any ticket capable of bringing their fun dreams to fruition, Marcus and Yoo are that ticket.

The pair displays great chemistry and seems to be comfortable with running for student government, given that they also ran for Freshman Caucus. Despite coming up short last year, they have definitely returned stronger and better. Both are well organized, productive, high-achieving, and articulate, and their ambition will be pivotal in bringing change to their grade. Their creative yet plausible ideas make them a worthy ticket for Sophomore Caucus. Thus, The Spectator endorses this ticket.