Bodie Florsheim
Junior Bodie Florsheim is running for president to unify the Student Body. “In a time like today where people are so separated, it’s crucial that we have somebody in that role of president who can speak out and bring people together in the right way,” Florsheim said. “I think my views and my voice can make a change at Parker.”
For Florsheim, this change means bringing together upper and underclassmen and to involve the latter in Student Government.“I want to give a voice to the little guy, and I want people who don’t find Student Government interesting to tell me why,” Florsheim said. “I want people who find it boring to tell me what I can do to make it a better experience for them.”
His plans for next year range from working with the athletic department to introducing new councils and reviews. Florsheim’s main idea is to implement a ‘360 Review Council,’ in which students relatively uninvolved in Student Government meet monthly in a group led by the Executive Advisor. In this group, students will talk anonymously about what they believe is going well or poorly with Student Government and what they want to change. The Executive Advisor would communicate their ideas to the Cabinet.
“I’ve talked to a lot of Cabinet members, and none of them are willing to talk about anything bad in Cabinet meetings,” Florsheim said. “There shouldn’t be a filter about what is going on, so an anonymous group can blatantly tell me what there is to change.” According to Florsheim, the ‘360 Review Council’ will provide a voice to the Student Body and hold the president accountable for enacting the change the council recommends.
Florsheim’s platform revolves around open communication and making Student Government and Morning Ex more enjoyable for all students. Florsheim’s experience as a MX Head led to his plans for the second point on his platform. “As an MX Head, one of the most frequent comments I heard was that there are too many MX’s a week,” Florsheim said. “A solution to this would be to limit MX’s to two times a week as opposed to three.”
While Florsheim believes MX has always been an important part of the Parker experience, access to new speakers and ideas has changed dramatically over the past decade due to the introduction of technology. Lower School does not attend MX on Mondays, so Florsheim proposes moving Monday’s F period into the MX and advisory time blocks, shifting advisory to the end of the day and creating an earlier Monday dismissal.
While Florsheim praises his competitors on their qualifications, he believes he stands out because of his ideas and previous leadership roles. “I’m a funny guy, and I’m not going to be boring like some presidents have been,” Florsheim said. “I have the energy and charisma to make sure people can stay engaged.”
Florsheim has experience as a Computer Technology Committee Head, a Model Home Head, an Education Council member, a two-time Food Council member, Small Groups Leader, and JV Soccer and Basketball Captain. Florsheim is most proud of his leadership experiences outside of Student Government. He represented Parker at the leadership workshop at the Holocaust Museum, and was chosen for the ISACS Self-Study Athletics Subcommittee.
“Those are more impactful than the roles I have been elected into because it’s something my peers or teachers have seen that I would be fit for,” Florsheim said. “My peers thought, ‘Bodie is the guy for the job, he’s going to be open and willing to share his thoughts.’”