They were nervous as they sat in their seats while parents, friends and classmates tried to get their attention.

The four students running for sixth-grade student council president sat in a row below the podium on Nov. 5 and chatted with each other as students filed in for the “All-School Assembly,” but got quiet as the room filled.

In prior years, the student leadership was chosen by teachers. However, since this year was an election year, said Gales Ferry/Juliet Long Principal Anne Hogsten, the staff wanted to give the student body a chance to elect their own representatives and learn a little bit about the electoral process on the way.

Students were excited to take part, she said: 68 applied and ran for a total of 17 student council seats.

Of those 17 elected, four students decided to run again for the student council presidency: Benjamin Fieldsend, Henry Denton, Aiden Peterson and Matthew Scarpa. Over the past two weeks, they spoke with students about what they wanted to do for the school and made campaign posters which were scattered around the hallways of the Gales Ferry School.

The election saw Peterson elected council president and Fieldsend elected vice president. A general election poll also elected Hillary Clinton.

The all school assembly, held in the Gales Ferry gymnasium, featured a long winding “Road to the White House” where students stood as they recited facts about the branches of government and the U.S. electoral system.

Fifth grade students ran a “Town Meeting” with a moderator and a bell.

“Can a president change a law?” one asked.

“No, a law can only be changed by an act of Congress,” the moderator responded. “Actually, the President has no say.”

The platforms of the candidates ranged from “trying to get kids excited for school” to creating a “positive inclusive learning environment” for students.

Both Scarpa and Fieldsend both asked students if they ever woke up and didn’t want to go to school.

Giggling, most students raised their hands.

Scarpa emphasized his and leadership in the previous school council, which raised money for Heifer International.

“Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders,” he said.

Henry Denton asked students to “be the change they wished to see in the school,” and promised to listen to the wishes of all students.

While also emphasizing her leadership, Peterson spoke about her father, who is in the military and moved her family to Ledyard when she was in the second grade.

“As president I hope I can use that same welcoming feeling I was shown to help other kids fit in and become part of their school,” she said.

One way to do that would be to bring a tutoring system to aid students with their schoolwork.

As the only female candidate, she said she “want(ed) to show that this school respects women’s rights.”

She also added that she is “much funnier than all the boys running.”

n.lynch@theday.com