As we say goodbye to Semester 1, the wide range of school events held by the Student Council and its two most important members–student council presidents Isha Mathur and Ziyan Ismail–remain to be highlights of the past semester. So, join me in learning more about the backstories and future plans of the two people who pull it all off!
S: Hello, thank you for coming here today. So, firstly how did you decide to run for student council president; how did it all get started?
Isha: Well, for me, it started in Grade 8. I don't know if most people remember, but when you come to Sentinel in Grade 8, you have an orientation which is led by your student council presidents. When I saw the then-presidents, I thought, “oh, that’s someone I wanna be!”
I felt that it was my kind of thing if that makes sense. Since elementary school, I’ve liked taking leadership opportunities and being on the Student Council was something that I always wanted to do.
After seeing the presidents and their role in the school as leaders, the role appealed to me even more. I think it’s something I’ve been set on since Grade 8. Then, the opportunity to run arose last year; I jumped at it, and it’s been really fruitful!
S: So, your Grade 8 dreams were fulfilled?
I: Yeah! Actually, I’ve kept a little journal since Grade 8. In it, there’s this bucket list, and one of the items was “become student council president,” so I was able to check that off last June.
Ziyan: For me, there were a couple of different reasons. Joining the student council in Grade 10 and seeing the presidents at the time, I thought to myself, “this is where I want to be in 5 years,” and it was something I wanted to accomplish and felt I needed to do.
Secondly, talking to the people around me, including students from different grades, I befriended a lot of people across all grade levels throughout my campaign, and they didn’t really feel like the student council was doing much and felt that there needed to be more transparency.
So, as someone who had the platform to run, someone who wanted to run, I wanted to integrate what the students wanted into my campaign to ensure that I was a candidate that was competitive with everyone else and could accomplish what students wanted to see.
To accomplish this, Isha and I have been creating lists of everything we need to achieve to keep our promises, satisfy the student body and make them happy that they elected us.
S: Moving on to our next question, how was the election campaign experience? Do you have any tips for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
I: It felt really stressful. Last year, I had one spare, and it was helpful because I had more time to run it. On the other hand, I also had around three academic courses at the time, and some outside of the timetable, so around four or maybe five in total. I remember feeling terrible.
I don't know if everyone saw the dunk tank, but when I did it, it was pouring rain. Also, I called five different dunk tank companies. The tank that I ended up getting was in Abbotsford, so we had to drive out all the way to Abbotsford, then tow it, and then take it back. So, it was really “eugh.”
We also didn’t have anything to tow the tank with. We drive an SUV, a little SUV. We had to learn how to attach the towing thing and everything, and buy it all! I also had a big bio or chem test that day. So, I wrote my test, ran out and started setting up. At the same time as I brought my dunk tank from Abbotsford, one of the companies that I called but never confirmed with showed up anyway. So, there were two dunk tanks that day. It was just crazy.
There were also a lot of tears. This makes it sound really bad, but that’s just because I’m a highly anxiety-ridden person. The people I ran with, Ziyan, Vasily, Niknaz and all, were incredibly supportive. The group of people we ran with were the nicest people ever. If you are a content person, I highly recommend running. Even if you don’t get elected, there are still opportunities to get involved with the Student Council. Many of the people I ran with are now integral parts of the Student Council.
Overall, I totally recommend it to anybody who wants to try something new or finds the leadership and involvement aspects appealing!
Z: Campaigning is definitely the most stressful week of your entire life if you plan to run as president. For me, it was coming in on Monday morning, putting up my poster, and then seeing it taken down! It was all just a misunderstanding, no one was at fault, but that whole feeling was, “wow, it’s really competitive.” Also, don’t get me wrong, Isha and I, we’re amazing, we’re close, we’re co-presidents, but in that week, you learn to have a very competitive mindset against everyone else. So, that week, we weren’t friends, but we were competing with each other.
Also, it was really stressful and tough, but I’m happy that I made it, and I really applaud everybody who ran as well.
S: Let’s talk about your actual term in office. So, reflecting on the events and initiatives you have held in the first semester, what are you most proud of?
Z: I loved the pancake breakfast, and so, obviously, it’s a yearly type of event, but I felt that I was able to talk to the students and share experiences with them. There was a nice sense of community that day. I would also say the start of the year BBQ which was another event where I could talk with the students, ask them how their summer was, and just be a part of that community.
It’s also that sense of community that led me to run because I feel like we missed that during COVID-19; we almost skipped over it. We couldn’t go to sports games, we couldn’t do any of that, so events like these that make me happy about the position that I am in because we can see it happen, and we can help it happen.
S: The food events are always really great! Food brings the school community together, and with the COVID aspect, we’ve missed some of that. I’m glad to be back to doing BBQs, breakfasts, and all that jazz.
I: To be honest, the first two or three weeks of school were something that Ziyan and I were really proud of because we did not have a Student Council at the time. Yet, we were able to pull off a popsicle hand-out, the Terry Fox BBQ, and over 90 Student Council interviews!
Additionally, from our perspective, this year’s events have just been much much more successful in the sense of how many people have turned up and how engaged everyone has been with the school.
More importantly, I think that the Student Council is much more cohesive and interested in doing something for the school than ever, which translates to the entirety of the school. If Student Council is passionate about doing something, then the whole school gets passionate about it. That’s something I’m most proud of.
Also, Christmas grams, they’re always a hit. The pancake breakfast, that’s also always so much fun.
S: It’s great that the Student Council has been working to foster a sense of community.
I: Actually, I don’t know how successful we have been since we haven’t surveyed people or done the research, but in my eyes, we’ve been successful, yeah. We’ve done much more than we did last year in the same amount of time. We’ve done four different pizza parties this year, which is around $120 for each pizza party.
S: So, as we transition into the next semester, what are you looking forward to in terms of goals and events?
I: So, an event that I can for sure confirm is a spring dance, the name is TBA, but it will be mainly for our Grade 8, 9 and 10s. It will be held at the beginning of March, right before we break for spring. That’s something that we’re all looking forward to.
In the upcoming two weeks, Valentine Grams are also coming up. It’s an opportunity to clarify any underlying messages that were missed during Christmas Grams, a second opportunity.
Z: Isha and I have also thought about possibly having a summer carnival, but that’s just an idea; it hasn’t been fully confirmed. It’s something we definitely want to work towards using our platform. We’re trying to plan it out, and honestly, it would help us meet the expectations we set during campaign week. It’s almost like “the final event,” and something we want to accomplish. These are all things you should look forward to as Sentinel students!
S: Do you have any advice or tips for younger Spartans?
Z: So, for me, it would definitely be joining a club. Isha and I both have a long history of joining clubs. I personally feel that it has helped me grow into the person that I am today, and encouraged me to do more and pursue personal growth.
I: I agree with that. I think pushing yourself out of your comfort zone in Grade 8 or 9 and definitely taking advantage of opportunities that you might have is important.
S: If you could choose an animal to be Sentinel’s mascot, what animal would you pick?
I: I feel it would have something to do with Sentinel’s intense academic rigour and lack of sleep. Just whatever doesn’t sleep.
S: So, kinda like the opposite of a sloth?
I: An owl?
Z: I can see that.
I: I think that the Spartan encompasses us really well; we work hard.
Z: I agree.
S: Any comments? Remarks?
I: Take your time in high school, work hard, but also find that balance of doing things you like, especially in Grade 12. So, those of you in Grades 10 and 11, you’ve got to prioritize school, but also your well-being and your sleep. Everybody, sleep! It’s so important.
Z: One thing to prioritize is surrounding yourself with friends who push you academically and as a person. Growth through high school is something that I’ve gone through and I feel that it’s because of the people I’ve surrounded myself with. It’s very important to think about who you’re friends with, how they push you, and whether they help you.
Thank you to both of our presidents, Ziyan and Isha, for speaking to me.
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