By Quinn O’Hara

It started as a joking conversation between two Clay Center Community High School Students over the current state of politics. The joke has now evolved into two CCCHS Teacher’s forced candidacy for President and Vice President of the United States.

The two students, Izzy Blackwood and Savei Nyamakope, recently created t-shirts that read “Pollman Murphy 2024” and wore them to school to express their desire for CCCHS teachers Laura Pollman and Dawn Murphy to run for the Executive Office. Blackwood said the shirts were originally made in response to students jokingly asking Pollman to run for President.

“The joke quickly snowballed from there,” said CCCHS Speech and Debate Teacher Megan Blackburn, who’s class pitched in to help revise and mass produce the shirts. Soon, she said, several students around the school had donned the shirts also expressing their support for a Pollman Murphy Presidency.

Pollman, who teaches History at CCCHS, said she was completely surprised when presented with the shirts.

Blackwood and Nyamakope said they included Murphy, who teaches English, on the ticket because they had heard “wonderful things” about Murphy and thought her and Pollman made a great duo. Murphy said she was as shocked as Pollman when she saw the shirts and was appreciative of the recognition.

Though Pollman and Murphy will not appear on the 2024 Presidential Ballot, folks can still express their support by purchasing a shirt through the Tiger Speech and Debate Facebook page.

Nyamakope and Blackwood said that both Pollman and Murphy have positively impacted generations of CCCHS students and have taught their students how to be better citizens and members of their communities. The students said they are happy to see both teachers receive the recognition they deserve.