By Iman Umair-Qaiser

Paralleling Milton’s municipal election, MD’s 2018 student elections are ongoing this week, as candidates spread their campaigns and raise voter support. Two representatives from each grade, an HDSB Student Senator, spokespeople from various extracurriculars, and the student Prime Minister make up the MDHS Senate. As the race comes to a head today, where the student Prime Minister candidates will publicly address the school before the election, MDHS Scene & Herd would like to introduce you to your grade representatives and student Prime Minister candidates. You can read more about them on this handy document, courtesy of the MDHS office staff.

You can click on this link to vote!

Grade 9 Rep Candidates

• Ben Hartshorn
• Hiba Mohar
• Amber Siddiqui
• Evan Taylor
• Eli Vodarek-Berman
• Haiqa Aaqil

Grade 10 Rep Candidates

• Phoenix Seelochan
• Saad Ahmad

Because there are only two candidates running for Grade 10 rep, which is the exact number of candidates we need, the Grade 10s will not be holding grade rep elections and elect Seelochan and Ahmad by default.

Grade 11 Rep Candidates

• Tithi Mayani
• Maheesha Thiyagarajah
• Neha Abro
• Tuba Choudhry (who was a Grade 10 Representative last year)
• Saad Fasihi

Grade 12 Rep Candidates

• Saad Khan
• Sara Shehada (who was a Grade 11 Representative last year)
• Cassius Umengan

Student Prime Minister Candidates

The successors to the widely popular PM Aparajita “Apple” Roy and deputy PM Chloe Umengan are…

• Wafa Saleem
• Mirha Mansoor
• Zuya Abro (who was a Grade 11 Representative last year)
• Peter Chung
• Michael Abes
• Anissa Gandhi
• Sammeer Naderi

 

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And now, as a special feature, Scene & Herd presents an exclusive interview from two of the Prime Minister candidates, Anissa Ghandhi and Michael Abes!

Q: What inspired you to run for Prime Minister?

Anissa: MD plays a huge part in my own childhood. Moving to Milton when I was seven years old, I didn’t realize how much of an impact Milton District would have in shaping the person I am today. I’ll be the 2nd generation that graduates from MD this year and I believe that the least I could do, to contribute back to a school who has done so much for me, is run for Prime Minister so I could start giving back as well.

Michael: I’ve always been interested in politics and law, so when the opportunity to be involved in a government of sorts popped up, I jumped at it. I’m also very interested in the idea of improving the school. I think our school has a lot of potential to be better, and think that a great deal of the common issues people bring up could easily be fixed with the right people working to fix them.

Q: Describe a year at MD with you in power.

Anissa: A lot of Mustang spirit intertwined with social justice, equity and inclusion.

Michael: Using the great amount of student input I plan to collect, improvements to student life at MD should be a very viable goal. I’d like to modernize and improve our student involved/run assemblies and extracurriculars as well as reintroduce popular extracurriculars and events (such as intramurals, and maybe A Taste of Milton) from years past. I’d also like to hold more fundraisers for our clubs and programs, specifically the Breakfast Program could benefit from some additional funding.

Q: What sets you apart from other candidates? Why will people vote for you?

Anissa: Many candidates also want to see the same things and have similar views for MD as I do, but I believe that a major factor that sets me apart is my experience. Being apart of many past leadership experiences, the social justice shsm, I’ve developed plenty of skills and experiences in which I am confident in my ability to bring about change, equity and to be the leader that students at MD want me to be.

Michael: What sets me apart, in my opinion, is that I am not running for personal advancement but for the primary purpose of improving the school for everyone. I am prepared to fight for the needs of the student body.
Being Prime Minister isn’t an easy job; you can’t just show up to meetings and call it a day. The Prime Minister represents the entire school, and has the responsibility to do right by them and their interests. I am prepared to fully commit to the position.
For me, this isn’t just a role to put on my resume or my post-secondary applications. I’m running because I believe I am the best and most qualified candidate for the job.

Q: What are some specific examples of things you’ve seen at MD that you want to change or improve?

Anissa: I want to bring back intramurals and spirit days. However, in saying this, I really want to implement student voice and ensure that I accurately hear from students at MD for the types of intramurals and spirit days they want to have at MD. I also want to focus on a lot of team building and inclusion with the grade nines since they are new to the school and I want them to see MD as their home for the next four years of their lives.

Michael: Communication between students and the Government would be greatly improved. Communication is absolutely key to a good rapport between a government and its people, and it’ having spoken to a number of students I can confidently say that this is one of the greatest areas of improvement for MD.

Q: What is your primary campaign tactic (posters, social media, speeches, etc)?

Anissa: I’ve been focusing on many posters around the school and using my social media platforms. Personally, I have been going around with a whiteboard to take note of what students want to see at MD. So vote Gandhi so I can be the change that you want to see at MD!

Michael: I’ve been planning a good mix of the three. I’ve put up posters on nearly every door in the school, I’ve been advertising on social media, and I plan on tying it all together with a speech that reflects the messages on my ads.

Q: Would you consider taking a career in politics? Why or why not?

Anissa: Yes! I’ve really considered over the past years and I would find that it is a path that is constantly changing, making it all the more inviting. I find that politics is all about representation and making sure that you’re advocating for your group and the values of your group. This is something that can be daunting yet so rewarding as societal values change as society changes and with that, I want to bring about change too.

Michael: Depending on how my Student Government career progresses, and if the right opportunities arise, I would absolutely be interested in trying a career in politics. My current passions and interests mainly lie in film-making and design, but I’ve always been one to wait until I try things to say they aren’t for me. This is partly why I’m running for Prime Minister; I’ve never had the opportunity to be involved in any political like groups or positions before.

There you have it, MD. All the information you need for this year’s student government election. Remember to vote online TODAY!