Perhaps Abraham Lincoln was engaged in a display of his sagacious prowess when he mused—“The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next”— or, perhaps, his words were simply a product of his post at the time. Whatever the case, this ideal lies at the crux of every great democratic system today, forming the dynamo that powers the mighty machine of government. Indeed, the few, who attempt to grasp ahold of fleeting titles, have a duty to empower the many that granted them power to begin with—a duty that must be upheld, starting at the grassroots level.
It is my belief, therefore, that instead of waiting for the next generation to come along and fall into these responsibilities, we discover them for ourselves, and remunerate the environment that has nurtured us thus far.
It is in this spirit that I am proud to announce the successful formation of a Student Council at MBIS for the academic year of 2017-2018.
A passionate group of proactive individuals, the council began rooted in the most fundamental traditions of democracy—an election. The student body at MBIS was left shaken by the fierce debate for Vice Presidency between Sneh Deshpande of MYP 4A and Mehek Mehra of MYP 5A, with the latter securing the title two weeks and several electronic ballots later. A thrilling experience that united the school, the vote helped students take charge of their learning experience and decide what they truly wanted for the future. By the time the vote rolled around, students were well aware of what each candidate stood for, and clear sides had formed—and as the crowd welcomed the new Vice President upon hearing the result, there was no animosity to be found between the two candidates—only mutual respect.
Since then, the members of the Student Council have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure the best MBIS experience they can for their peers. Several proposals have already been put forth, reinforced by a more open student communication system, a streamlined discussion process, and a strong emphasis on transparency. Behind every one of these steps was the dedicated group of class representatives that make up the council:
- MYP 1A
Waarid Mohammad
- MYP 1B
Sanskhar Sanghavi
- MYP 2A
Yeshaya Engineer
- MYP 2B
Cathrina HK Grigoras
- MYP 3A
Myun Chan
- MYP 3B
Sharwari Khare
- MYP 4A
Sneh Deshpande
- MYP 4B
Diego Alejandro Oschatz
- MYP 5A
Mehek Mehra
- MYP 5B
Renuka Gawande
- DP 1A
Ahan Dhar (pending)
- DP 1B
Dong Eun Lee
- DP 1C
Uday Raj Mehra
Additionally, Aaryaman Mehta of MYP 5B has taken up the coveted role of Treasurer, Sanskhar Sanghavi of MYP 1B the responsibility of Secretary, and Sneh Deshpande of MYP 4A the official Liaison of Communications. As last year’s Vice President, I will be assuming the role of President this year.
We stand on the shoulders of giants—the oracles of democracy that have shown us the power of the people—to follow in their footsteps is a daunting task indeed. Yet, we are not perturbed, for the cogs of the democratic machine have been set in motion—one step at a time, we shall pave the path for an MBIS for everyone.
Uday Raj Mehra