In 2024, the United States presidential election is not the only upcoming race; this year, in Mr. Paduano’s AP Government classes, students have created their own political parties and will compete to be crowned the 2024 President. 

 

The project, according to  Mr. Paduano, allows students to not only understand the government better, but also gain experience with the functions of each individual branch and its relationship with the American people. The project incorporates a variety of categories within politics and government, including political parties, interest groups, and the tie between funds and political speech opportunities. Mr. Paduano believes that, in the AP course of government and politics, this project connects government to politics. 

 

Across  the seven parties created by the students, there are a variety of political ideas with the goal of appealing to students. Each political party has crafted opinions on an assortment of topics, including infrastructure, healthcare, civil rights, drugs, the environment, crime, homeland security, education, and technology. 

 

Later in the month, juniors and non-participating seniors will be given the opportunity to view campaign videos made by each party, and they will allot “funds” to the parties that they most support. Because the videos provide an onslaught of information, which could potentially be overwhelming to students,

here’s an introduction to each party.

 

The Kiwi Party is presided over by Anna Carpinelli, with a committee composed of Isabella Alberti, Melania Petriccione, Kaitlyn Vasta, and Patricia Keating. The Kiwi Party prides itself on its uniqueness, clarifying that the name is based on the Kiwi bird, which cannot fly, and is therefore often underestimated. Though the party has addressed each of the aforementioned issues, their party’s primary concerns are the environment, civil rights, and education. The Kiwi Party seeks to combat the utilization of fossil fuels with renewable energy, reduce the presence of systemic racism and sexism in government legislation, and enforce the divide between church and state in an educational setting. One reason that The Kiwi Party believes they stand out is their party’s core value--they represent the underrepresented. The Kiwi Party wants voters to know: if they just try, perhaps they could fly.  

 

The Leon Party--an abbreviation of the former French emperor, Napoleon I--is led by Lincoln Ortiz, and is supported by Artur Dec, Andrew Joseph, Christian Farina, and Nikita Dushkevich. The Leon Party idealizes Napoleon, believing that they can recreate his actions for the betterment of America. Their party’s major beliefs lie within infrastructure, the environment, and homeland security; they believe in advancing the public transportation system, preventing wildfires, and increasing the United States’ security by conquering other nations (or allying with them). The Leon Party also strongly desires a more centralized government. This party believes that they stand out because they take strong--sometimes controversial--stances. Lastly, one thing The Leon Party wants constituents to know is a direct quote from Lincoln: “There's something I can do.”

 

Led by Gavin Blide, the Unity Constitutional Party consists of Andrew Alberti, Jaison McIntosh, and Javier Moronta. In a country drastically divided by its political parties, this party’s name is based on its core value: to unify the people of the United States under the Constitution, the remaining similarity between us all. The Unity Constitutional Party’s strongest beliefs lie within the issues of homeland security, crime, and education; they believe the US needs more sustainability in its immigration system, more regulation on gun control, and more educational funding to states for their discretion, while demonopolizing organizations like College Board. The Unity Constitutional Party believes they stand out because their primary value is unity; they do not take radical stances, preferring to base their party on their reasonability. In response to The Leon Party, Gavin offers his own quote: “There's something we can do. It’s not about I, it’s about we.” 

 

The Breakthrough Party, piloted by Lilly Deur, is also made up of Jasmine Joseph, Mallory McCarthy, Veronica Rubio, and Isabella Kalavachi. Their name represents their efforts to break through barriers, creating opportunities where they previously had not existed. The Breakthrough Party’s chief concerns are within education; they strongly support the arts, and aspire for more test-optional methods for students that are less proficient in a test-based setting. The Breakthrough Party believes that they are distinct in their desire to create opportunities for everyone, and provide support for everyone. Lilly also believes that, with a history in Westlake’s Student Council, she has the necessary leadership experience to promote a better future. In a message to their constituents, The Breakthrough Party reiterates their party’s slogan: they’re opening new “deurs'' and breaking through barriers.

 

Representing symbolism in the United States is the Bald Eagle Party, commanded by Elliot Albaum and aided by Nicholas Castellano, Eamonn Corr, Joshua Cowles, and Dylan Pray. Their name is representative of the United States’ national bird, the bald eagle; they believe that, by representing the symbol, they represent the country. This party’s primary concerns lie within the category of crime; they believe in solidifying the criminal system through the implementation of stricter punishments for repeat offenders, reinforcement of existing laws, and elimination of no-cash bail. The Bald Eagle Party stands out for its prioritization of the American people; they don’t allow anything to jeopardize the welfare of citizens. Elliot wants voters to know that he will fight for them, no matter the cost. 

 

The Mario Party, led by Luciano Del Duca, also includes Gavin Malone and Aaron Ziegler. The party’s name is indicative of their shared interest in the Mario Party video game series by Nintendo. The topic of education is this party’s central interest; they believe in standardizing education across the nation and increasing the accessibility of higher education for those with restricted socioeconomic conditions. The Mario Party believes that they stand out by trying not to; their goal is to stick to their core values, whether or not it appeals to a majority audience. The Mario Party is, in essence, an underdog--and who doesn’t love the underdog? 

 

As the only female group in their class, the Barbie Party, led by Jennifer Hajdari and including Kiera Naughton, Sophia Stemkowski, Alexandra Gjokai, and Catherine Nebel, heavily emphasizes girl power in a male-dominated political sphere. Taking after Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, the Barbie Party embraces the strength and ingenuity of women. When compared to other topics, the Barbie Party is strongly connected to education, as they disparage standardized testing and believe in more group-oriented assignments and projects. They consider themselves a voice of the people, as their opinion on standardized testing is directly derived from their understanding of current students’ struggles. The Barbie Party stands out by maintaining credibility while introducing a pop-culture trend into an environment that has previously lacked them. Jennifer believes she relates to voters on a personal level, because, just like Ken, she’s just Jen. 

 

With the assistance of Anna Pagan, Shiann Aiken, Lilly Billig, and Ella DeVito, the Club Party is led by Chloe Putter. Their name, similar to their slogan, references the sport of golf, because, when it comes to opponents, the Club Party intends to “putter in place.” The Club Party strongly endorses reform within the categories of infrastructure and the environment, as they believe in creating more durable roads and transportation methods, and introducing higher quality gardens and landscaping into local communities, respectively. This party believes they stand out in that they’re most representative of Westlake’s student body and, in turn, their values. The Club Party plans to stay on the offense during this race, as they’ll put opponents in place in order to get what voters want. 

 

Mr. Paduano plans to retire at the end of the 2024 school year, and though he will be deeply missed, upcoming students won’t have to miss out on this project; Mr. Paduano has already made preparations for it to endure through his successor.

 

But, until then, these are Mr. Paduano’s 2024 presidential candidates. As was previously mentioned, each president’s campaign video will come out later in this month, and there will be a live presidential debate towards the end of March. 

 

But, after that, the decision lies with you, Westlake students, American people. 

 

So, who are you voting for?