Mindy Kim, Class President

by Lyla Lee

  To all the girls out there who want to be president one day. You can do it!

  Chapter 1

  My name is Mindy Kim. I am eight years old, and I’m now in third grade!

  So far, third grade isn’t as easy as second grade. There is a lot more homework, and the math is harder. But there are lots of fun new things too! We have new responsibilities, like helping our teacher, Mr. Brady, around the classroom. We also have a classroom guinea pig, Mr. Snuffles!

  I sit next to Mr. Snuffles in class. He’s a little smelly, but he’s so cute that I don’t mind. Mr. Snuffles has brown-and-white fur and large black eyes. Occasionally, he makes funny little squeaking sounds that make me smile. On special occasions, like someone’s birthday, Mr. Brady puts a bow tie around his neck!

  Today Mr. Brady announced that we’re having class-president elections.

  “I know it’s October, and everyone’s probably busy preparing for Halloween this weekend, but it’s been two weeks since our old class president, Dill, moved away,” he explained. “So we need someone to replace him. And what could be a better time to have a class election than next week, when the adults in our country will vote for a new president of the United States?”

  Dill was really nice, and he was such a good class president, too! He was one of the first friends I made when I moved to Florida last year. I was really sad when he moved away.

  Priscilla raised her hand. She’s the girl who sits at the front of the class and always asks questions.

  “Yes, Priscilla?”

  “What do we have to do during the class-president election?” she asked.

  “Oh, I think you were absent when we had the election last time,” said Mr. Brady. “Why don’t we go through the rules one more time? It’s always good for everyone to have a reminder.”

  He smiled at all of us. “Anyone who wants to run for class president has to give a speech about why they should win. You will also need to make campaign posters and bring them to class by this Friday. You should memorize the speech if you can, so be sure to ask your mom or dad for help!”

  Mr. Snuffles squeaked, as if agreeing with Mr. Brady. I wondered who Mr. Snuffles would vote for if he could!

  Mr. Brady continued. “Next Monday you will give your speech, and then everyone in the class will vote for our new president. I’ll pass out a fill-in-the-blank speech-planning sheet to help everyone out!”

  He started handing out the sheets. When he gave me one, I stared at the paper.

  We had to talk about so many different things, like our three best traits and what we would do as class president. It looked fun, but it also made me really nervous. I tucked the paper away in my backpack because just reading it made me feel scared.

  When we’d first had classroom elections in August, I’d been too scared to run. I like people, but I don’t like speaking in front of the class. Whenever we have to present in front of everybody for special projects, it makes my tummy hurt and I feel really dizzy.

  “You should run this time, Mindy!” said Sally, my best friend. “You have so many friends. You’ll win for sure!”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know… speeches are scary.”

  “Well, you can practice! My mom said she used to hate speeches too, but it’s easy for her now since she does it almost every day for her job. You just need to practice lots and you’ll be okay!”

  Sally’s belief in me made me all warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe she was right. Maybe I could really be the next class president!

  But I was still scared. What if I froze and couldn’t remember a single thing? What if I talked too fast or too slow? What if my voice sounded funny and made everyone laugh?

  I needed to talk to Dad. He would help me figure out what to do!

  Chapter 2

  Later that day, when it was time for dinner, I went into the kitchen to help Dad reheat leftovers. Yesterday Dad had made japchae, yummy Korean noodles with meat and vegetables, so we were eating that today, too.

  Dad and I were both really hungry, so we watched the plate of food go around and around in the microwave. Theodore, my dog, also came over to watch!

  “Dad?” I asked while we were waiting.

  I opened my mouth to tell Dad about the class-president elections. But when I did, nothing came out! It was like I couldn’t talk all of a sudden. Just thinking about running for class president made my stomach feel all funny inside!

  “Yes, Mindy?” Dad asked. He looked worried when I didn’t say anything.

  At that moment, the microwave bell went off.

  “Dinner is ready!” I yelled really loudly.

  Dad winced. “I can see that, Mindy. Is everything okay?”

  “Yup! Totally fine. Nothing to see here! Of course!”

  Dad stared at me as he put the japchae onto separate plates for the two of us. He didn’t say a single thing. He just raised one eyebrow.

  I sighed. Dad always knows what to do to get me talking.

  “We’re having a class-president election next week!” I blurted out. “Dill was our president, but he moved away, so we need a new one.”

  “Oh, that’s very cool! Are you thinking of running?” Dad asked.

  I hung my head and didn’t say anything as I followed him to the table.

  “I don’t know,” I said as I sat down. “I want to! But we have to make a speech. And I hate talking in front of other people.”

  Dad set the plates of japchae down at the table and smiled at me.

  “Well, this sounds like an excellent learning opportunity, Mindy! Best-case scenario, you’ll become class president. Worst-case scenario, this will be a good chance to practice speaking in front of others. I think you should definitely try running. You’d make a great president!”

  My heart beat really fast.

  “Do you really think so, Appa?” I asked, calling him the Korean word for “Daddy.”

  “Yup! Let me know if you need my help with your speech. I’m more than happy to help out.”

  Dad and I started eating our food. The japchae was good, as usual, but I couldn’t really focus on eating it. I was too busy thinking about my speech. Even with the guidelines Mr. Brady had given us, I had no idea what to write.

  Theodore sat at my feet and looked up at me like he always does when I eat.

  He was really cute, but I tried my best to ignore him. Dad says I shouldn’t give him any food from the table, or else it’ll become a bad habit. I went back to thinking about my speech.

  “Dad, can you help me with my speech after dinner?” I asked. “Mr. Brady gave us a sheet to help us plan it out.”

  Dad beamed. “Of course, Mindy! We can work on it together after dinner.”

  After we ate dinner and washed the dishes, Dad and I sat together at the dining room table to work on the speech.

  “Hmm, so, it looks like the easiest part is the beginning. All you have to do is say your name and how old you are.”

  “That’s easy-peasy!” I said. On the piece of paper, I wrote Mindy in the first blank and eight in the second.

  “Next you have to write the three things that are most important to you.”

  This was really easy too. “You, Theodore, and my friends!”

  Dad smiled. “Good! Next you need to write three of your best traits. A trait is a word that people can use to describe you.”

  I thought long and hard. “Well, you always say I’m responsible. And Sally says I’m funny. But I can’t think of a last one!”

  “Hmm, well, you try your best to help me and your friends, so I think you’re also really caring!”

  I beamed. “Thanks, Dad!”

  It was now time for the hardest part. At the end of our speech, we were supposed to tal
k about how we would help the class and why everyone should vote for us.

  I gripped my pencil tightly. There were so many things I wanted to say, but there were only three blanks. I couldn’t choose!

  “Hmm,” said Dad when I hadn’t written anything for a while. “What platform do you want to run on, Mindy?”

  “A platform?” I asked. “What’s that?”

  “A platform is like the mission for your campaign. What are some of the things you’re going to focus on and change as the class president?”

  I stared down at my paper again. But no matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t choose what to say.

  “How about you think on it a bit more?” Dad said after a while. “I’m sure you’ll think of something soon, and today’s only Tuesday, so you have plenty of time. I’d be happy to look over it again when you’re done!”

  “Okay,” I said. “Thanks, Appa!”

  Even though I had no idea how to finish my speech, I still felt a lot better about everything. Writing the speech wasn’t so scary with Dad’s help!

  Chapter 3

  After thinking long and hard about my platform, I chose three things: friends, kindness, and snacks. I wanted to be everyone’s friend, be nice to everyone, and give them really yummy snacks. Friendship and food are both really important parts of my life!

  The next day at school, I showed my speech-planning sheet to Mr. Brady and told him I was running for class president.

  “Excellent!” Mr. Brady said. “Looking forward to hearing your speech next Monday, Mindy! Remember to have the posters ready by this Friday. Oh, and wear this sticker on Monday. It’s so that people know you’re running for class president.”

  He gave me a red-white-and-blue sticker with the word VOTE! on it.

  “Can I also bring snacks on Monday?” I asked. “Snacks are a really important part of my campaign!”

  “Sure!” replied Mr. Brady. “Everyone can bring snacks, stickers… whatever you want to promote your campaign. Just be sure that your dad e-mails me ahead of time to tell me what you’re bringing, in case anyone has allergies.”

  “Okay!”

  When I showed my speech to Sally during lunch, she smiled.

  “I really like your platform. Friendship, kindness, and snacks. That’s so you!”

  When I first moved to Florida last year, I tried to make new friends by trading my seaweed snacks with everybody at lunch. That’s how I became friends with Sally!

  “Thanks!” I said. “Are you running for class president?”

  Sally shook her head. “Nope. But you have my vote!”

  “Hey, that’s not fair!” said Brandon, a boy who sits at our lunch table. “You haven’t even heard her speech yet, and you’re already voting for her?”

  “Yeah, of course!” Sally replied. “She’s my friend!”

  Brandon isn’t really our friend, but he still sits with us at lunch because our table is where his friends like to sit. He, Sally, and I had a big fight last year over my yummy seaweed-snack business. He’s one of the meanest kids at our school.

  “Are you running too, Brandon?” I asked. Mr. Brady hadn’t announced who else was running, so I had no idea who I was up against.

  “Yeah,” Brandon said with a big, ugly grin. “That means we’re rivals. I can’t wait to beat you!”

  “As if!” Sally exclaimed. “Mindy is way nicer than you. She’s going to win!”

  “We’ll see about that,” replied Brandon.

  Suddenly I remembered what people said in movies when they were competing against each other.

  I stuck my hand out. I didn’t want to shake hands with Brandon, but I had to be nice to him since I was promising to be everyone’s friend as part of my platform.

  “Let the best kid win,” I said.

  Brandon laughed and shook my hand.

  “Sure. But don’t cry when I beat you!”

  The bell rang, and Brandon ran away, laughing.

  “Jerk!” Sally called after him.

  “It’s okay,” I said, clenching my fists in determination. “I’m going to beat him for sure.”

  Even though I was still scared about the speech, I wanted to win the election even more now that I knew Brandon was running too.

  I couldn’t let a mean kid like him become class president! Even if that meant I had to face my fears and be brave.

  Chapter 4

  Eunice, my babysitter, picked me up after school. Dad was working late today, so I had to stay at her house until he came back.

  “Hey, how was your day, Mindy?” Eunice asked when I got into her car. “Are you excited for Halloween?”

  “Yeah!” I exclaimed. “I’m also running for class president next week, so it’s going to be really busy!”

  It was easier to say out loud now that I was officially running. Plus, I had a really important reason to win now!

  “Oh, how cool!” said Eunice. “Do you guys have to give a speech? That’s what we had to do when I was in elementary school.”

  “Yeah…,” I said. “That’s the hardest part. We also have to make posters.”

  I looked down at my feet. Even though I wanted to win, I was still scared about the speech.

  “Aw, it’s okay, Mindy. I’ll help you practice! How about we work on posters and go through your speech after we finish our homework? Oliver and I can be your audience.”

  Oliver the Maltese is Eunice’s dog. He is fluffy and really cute! Theodore is the cutest dog in my book, but Oliver comes really close. Eunice and Oliver are both really nice, so practicing the speech in front of them didn’t sound too scary.

  “Okay!” I said.

  On our way to Eunice’s house, we stopped at Walmart to get supplies for posters. We bought poster paper in lots of different colors, including pink, green, white, and orange!

  “I have markers and other supplies at home, so we can just use those,” Eunice said.

  “Wow, thanks, Unni! You’re the best.”

  Unni is the Korean word for “older sister.” Eunice isn’t really my sister, but in Korean culture, I still have to call her that out of respect because she’s older than me.

  “No problem. Glad I can help!”

  When we arrived at Eunice’s house, Mrs. Park, Eunice’s mom, greeted us at the door. Oliver the Maltese peeked his head out too!

  “Hi, Mindy!” Mrs. Park said.

  Oliver barked and wagged his tail in a really friendly way. I petted him on the head because he was a very good boy.

  “Mindy has to make posters and give a speech for school,” Eunice said. “She’s running for class president!”

  “How exciting!” replied Mrs. Park. “I still remember when you ran for class president, Eunice. You were so cute! Mindy, let me know if I can help.”

  “I sure will!” I said. Everyone in Eunice’s family is so nice!

  Homework was pretty hard. Math is my least favorite class. Today I had a worksheet full of word problems about counting money. Word problems are really confusing, and I didn’t know what some of them meant, but Eunice helped me when I got stuck.

  When I finished my homework, Eunice called me out to the living room. She had the poster paper spread out on the floor.

  “All right, Mindy,” she said. “How about you tell me what to write and I’ll help you by neatly writing your slogans on the posters? We can decorate the posters together later.”

  “Okay!”

  We sat on the floor to make the posters. After some thinking, I came up with lots of fun slogans:

  You’ve Got a Friend in Mindy Kim!

  Vote Mindy, Vote Snacks!

  Vote Mindy Kim, Everyone’s Friend!

  “Wow, all of these are great!” Eunice said once she was done writing them. “Now do you want to decorate them?”

  “Yeah!”

  I tried making the posters as cute as I could. I drew stick figures, stars, and even flowers!

  When we were done, Eunice gave me a high five. “Way to go, Mindy! These l
ook really cute!”

  “Hooray!” I cheered.

  But now that we were done with the posters, it was time for the hardest part. I had to practice my speech!

  Eunice helped me put the posters in a safe place and then sat on the living room couch with Oliver on her lap. Mrs. Park came over to sit on the couch too.

  Everyone was staring at me!

  “Okay, Mindy,” Eunice said, “we’re ready for you. Tell us your speech!”

  My face felt really hot, like I had a fever. I was holding the speech-planning sheet, but my hands were shaking so much that I couldn’t read what it said.

  “H-hi,” I said. My voice came out really small and quiet, like a mouse’s! “My n-name is Mindy Kim.”

  Eunice gave me a big smile. “Maybe speak a little bit louder, Mindy!”

  I glanced over at Mrs. Park and Oliver. Oliver wagged his tail at me, and Eunice’s mom gave me a supportive grin.

  “H-hi!” I said, trying my best to be louder. “My name is M-Mindy! I am eight years old. I… I…”

  I wanted to cry. This was too scary!

  “It’s okay, Mindy, just try again!” Eunice said.

  Oliver the Maltese wagged his tail, but even that wasn’t enough for me to keep going.

  I hung my head and stared at the floor. “I can’t. It’s too scary.”

  “That’s all right,” said Eunice. “A lot of people are bad at giving speeches. In fact, I’m pretty sure most people are at first, including me! You just have to practice, okay?”

  “Okay,” I said with a sigh. I was really disappointed in myself. How was I going to say the speech in front of the entire class?

  “Maybe you should try saying the speech to stuffed animals first,” Eunice suggested. “That’s how I always practice my speeches.”

  “Stuffed animals?”

  “Yeah!” Eunice laughed. “I still have all of mine. Even some grown-ups still have them, and that’s perfectly okay! Anyway, what I like to do is put all the stuffed animals on my bed and say my speech to them. It really helps because I can make as many mistakes as I want and they’ll still listen politely! Why don’t you try doing that too?”