FOCO Candidate Hot-Seat

Caitlin Dick-Ruíz, Ivy Miller, Clara Freeth, Fina Kutcher, Maggie Lamb, Izzy Santiago, Isla Tharp, Daniel Jacob, and Della Bank • February 19, 2025

Esh Schaden

Forum Council (FOCO) is the bridge between CHS students and staff. Representatives from each forum gather weekly to discuss special school events, middle school outreach and other goals for the school.

On February 20, 2025, FOCO will hold elections for president/co-presidents and vice president for the 2025-2026 school year. Every student gets to vote, and candidates have been focused on winning their support.

The candidates for FoCo president/co-presidents are Mallory Towers and Piper Cooke, Alex Smith and Andrew Rooks, as well as Nic Villamor. The vice presidential candidates are Ava Griffith, Autumn Klus-Salisbury, Sophie Alcumbrack McDaniel and Oliver Jacobson.

Towers and Cooke are running with a “WAVE” policy. The W is welcoming every voice, A for advocating for your needs, V for valuing our traditions and E for engaging our community. Similarly, Smith and Rooks use the acronym “SUPER” in their campaign. The S is student-focused, the U is for unity, the P is for perspective, the E is for efficiency and the R is for responsibility. The only presidential candidate not running with a partner, Villamor, has a campaign tagline instead of an acronym. “Bringing experience, empathy, and innovation to Community High.”

Vice presidential candidates have outlined their policies in the forum bulletin. Griffith strives to make CHS feel more inclusive while embracing forum-wide activities. Klus-Salisbury is focused on change, community involvement and communication. Alcumbrack McDaniel hopes to improve FoCo’s reliance on the entire student body for feedback, as well as push student engagement and involvement with school-wide and grade-focused activities.

The candidates sat down for a hot-seat interview to share more about themselves and their goals for the upcoming school year.

About the Contributors

Ivy Miller, Web-Focused Copy Editor & Election Team Editor

Ivy is a junior and she is delighted to be returning to journalism. She is passionate about wildlife conservation, sustainability, and growing as a writer. In her free time, Ivy can be found falling off of a cyclocross bike or filming raccoons.

Clara Freeth, Print Editor-in-Chief

This is Clara's third year on staff, her second as an Editor-in-Chief. When she's not in room 300 or at the Huron turf for field hockey or lacrosse practice, she can be found wandering around her neighborhood listening to one of her carefully curated playlists or living out her secret life as Hannah Montana — but don't tell anyone. This year, she is one-fifth of the print team and couldn't be more excited for what is ahead!

Fina Kutcher, A&E Editor

Serafina Kutcher is a senior at CHS, and she is in her 5th semester on staff. When she isn’t busy with schoolwork, she can usually be found listening to music, hanging out with friends, or baking. She also loves dancing, and spends time almost every day at the studio practicing and rehearsing. She is stoked to be spending another incredible semester on the Communicator staff!

Maggie Lamb, Journalist

Maggie is a junior at CHS and this is her first year on staff. She spends most of her time playing field hockey for both Pioneer and for her club team. She enjoys reading, listening to music, the rain, fall, watching movies and spending time with friends and family.

Izzy Santiago, Journalist

Izzy Santiago is a freshman at CHS. This is her second year in yearbook, having edited the Saline Middle School yearbook for 2023-2024. She's been riding horses for about four years and competes monthly. When she's not riding, you can usually find her listening to her favorite artists or taking long walks.

Isla Tharp, Journalist

Isla is a sophomore at CHS and is entering her first year on staff. She enjoys running for Skyline on the track and cross-country team and playing field hockey. When not at school or practice, she can be found cooking, listening to music, or spending time with friends! She's excited for a new year back at Community and to learn all about life on the PubHub team.

Daniel Jacob, Photography Editor

Daniel Jacob is a sophomore at CHS and is in his second semester on staff as a photography editor. When he is not hanging out with friends or playing tennis, he is taking photos and listening to music. His new favorite albums are tied for Cole World by J Cole and Revenge of the Dreamers II by J Cole.

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FOCO Candidate Hot-Seat

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