After being elected in October, Greta Rechtin ‘27, Lachlan McConnell ‘27, Griffin Schultz ‘27 and Kaya Downs ‘27 share their experiences running for ninth-grade representative in an interview with The Urban Legend.
What inspired you to run for Student Committee (StuCo)?
McConnell: “I was president [of Student Government] at my past school. … I like putting myself
forward and giving my all to events and holidays. [I enjoy] that kind of planning and listening to people and hearing what they want.”
Rechtin: “I did [San Francisco Day School’s] student congress and I liked that, so I thought it
would be interesting [to run for StuCo at Urban]. I didn’t think I was going to win, but I
thought it’d be fun to try because there’s no disadvantage.”
Did you run into any challenges in the running process?
McConnell: “The hardest part was believing in myself. I know that sounds corny, but it’s hard to
put yourself out there in front of 100 people, make a speech and show that you want
to be there for them … it can be quite intimidating.”
Downs: “[My speech] was not my best work because I wasn’t sure what to write. Some people
said you should talk about your goals but others said it shouldn’t be too serious. So it ended up being a really awkward in-between, and I was honestly kind of surprised that I won afterward.”
What’s your favorite breakfast?
McConnell: “Egg and cheese bagel with chamomile tea.”
Rechtin: “Honey Nut Cheerios with an iced chai.”
Downs: “Maple syrup-covered Belgian waffles or pancakes with orange juice or a matcha latte.”
Schultz: “Waffles with maple syrup and water.”
What are your first impressions of Urban?
Rechtin: “I really like it. I thought it was gonna be harder to get used to, but within the first week,
it felt like I’d been here a lot longer. It’s also really easy to meet new people.”
Schultz: “The class sizes are really small. At A.P. Giannini Middle School, they have classes
with almost 35 people, and then I came to my first Urban class and there were around 11
people in it … It’s easier to learn because the teacher has fewer kids to worry about, so they can focus more on each person.”
Favorite past Halloween costume:
McConnell: “Alien with a UFO made from aluminum foil and half of a clear beach ball.”
Rechtin: “Gretel, featuring my twin brother as Hansel.”
Downs: “Group costume — giant blow-up dinosaurs.”
Schultz: “Old man with glasses, a trench coat and a cane.”
What’s a long-shot goal that you have for Urban?
Downs: “I want to change our mascot! My sister (Gracie Downs ‘24) said it should be a yeti and
I stand by that.”
Schultz: “I want to get those squiggly people they have at gas stations around the school.”
What are some hopes and goals you have as a representative?
Schultz: “Make an impact on the class and make it a good year for them.”
Downs: “Make sure as many people as possible can feel supported. … I understand how
Important [having] a good support system is, especially when transitioning schools. I transferred [schools] in fifth grade and I almost failed out. [But] when I started using my resources, it got a lot better.”
McConnell: “I hope we become family and become more close. I mean, we only have four years here and that’s not long. I want to make every year count and I want to have fun!”
