Elections for the incoming freshman representatives of the Honor Council were held today in the journalism room during both lunches.

Three days prior to the elections, the candidates delivered two-minute long speeches during class meeting, expressing their perspectives on honor.

The contenders for the two available positions are Sharanya Balaji, Elizabeth Edwards, Grace Guan, Izzy Gross, Vineet Kosaraju, Adele Li, Sahana Narayanan, Nikita Ramoji, and Kaushik Sankar.

“[I would vote for] anyone who doesn’t cheat […] and who has good leadership skills,” Jonathan Trinh (9) said.

Jonathan further believes that it is essential for the representatives to be honorable in order to set an example for the freshman class.

Some of the candidates described what the Honor Council means to them and what new ideas they would bring to the council.

“The purpose of an Honor Council is to dictate and try to prevent future [incidents] from happening,” Adele said.

For Sahana, it is crucial to not only help reduce cheating, but also to educate students to be more ethical.

“As a candidate, […] what I’ll be doing is trying to prevent people from cheating, but also making them realize that you can learn how to better yourself,” Sahana said.

Freshman Layla Walker echoed this sentiment, explaining her desire for a leader who “should not only enforce the rules but create new [moral standards].” Layla voted for the candidate she felt is easy to talk to and the most honorable.

As they voted for representatives, some students reflected on the meaning of honor. Freshman Abhinav Ketineni thinks that the act of being honorable should not be imposed by teachers or administrators.

“[Honor is] something that as a student or as an individual you have to take into consideration. I think that honor is something personal that you have to weigh for yourself,” he said.

The freshman Honor Council representatives will be announced early next week.