Ratan, Murigande, Paull, and Messay triumph in Primary Elections

Arjun+Ratan%2C+Mahlet+Messay%2C+Violet+Paull%2C+and+Shaza+Murigande+were+the+four+winning+candidates+in+the+co-chair+primary.+Camilo+Bitar-Racedo%2C+Lydia+Ettinger%2C+and+Elijah+Savage+did+not+advance.

Carlos Heredia

Arjun Ratan, Mahlet Messay, Violet Paull, and Shaza Murigande were the four winning candidates in the co-chair primary. Camilo Bitar-Racedo, Lydia Ettinger, and Elijah Savage did not advance.

On May 8, the results for the Co-Chair primary were released to the Upper School community. All Upper School students, faculty, and staff were eligible to vote in the election. Candidates Shaza Murigande, Violet Paull, Arjun Ratan, and Mahlet Messay will move on to the final round of voting. Candidates Camilo Bitar-Racedo, Lydia Ettinger, and Elijah Savage did not advance. In the Fonseca Center gym, each of the remaining candidates will give a speech, as well as have a peer reference speech on their behalf, in front of the entire Upper School community on Friday, May 12. 

Arjun Ratan (Matthias Jaylen Sandoval)

I feel that the Co-Chair position has a lot to offer not only in Executive Committee but as leaders in the community for underclassmen and even kids coming up from the Middle School. Being a leader inside and outside of the community would be my biggest goal as Co-Chair.

— Arjun Ratan

Co-Chair candidate and current Junior Class President, Arjun Ratan, has his eyes set on the prize. Ratan said he felt inspired to run for co-chair for multiple reasons, citing his experience in Executive Committee and by past and current Co-Chairs Caleb Jakes, Annie Fabian, Zahali Vauclena, and Alexis Estime. Ratan mentioned how he wanted to step up and be a leader in the community. If elected, Ratan said he would like to tackle issues such as increasing school spirit and improving academic transparency. 

 A major thing Ratan wants to do is to expand DEI on campus. Ratan said, “I would like to create more space for a DEI perspective in Executive Committee but also around campus. I’ve been a part of S.C.E.E.M (Students of Color Empowering Excellence in Mentorship) and Diversity Ambassadors, and those spaces really get most of the work done, so I feel like providing time and accessibility for those groups and getting those voices in Executive Committee is a good way to establish DEI. Ratan would also like to do more DEI work in the Middle School as he believes that it’s upperclassmen’s responsibility to work with them to improve DEI.

Shaza Murigande (Xavier Rolston)

I want Morning Meetings to be fun. I don’t want people to fall asleep and get bored. I want people to be excited for Morning Meetings and I want to be a ray of sunshine for everyone.

— Shaza Murigande

Candidate and performing artist, Shaza Murigande said she would love to promote diversity and culture at Masters if she were elected as Co-Chair. Murigande said, “Masters is a pretty diverse school, especially for a predominately white institution. I think we have great faculty, however I would like to bring in a culture day, a designated day in the school year where everyone comes to school in traditional clothing, they bring food from their home country, we play music from their own countries and have performances because that’s something I’m very passionate about.”

She would also like Morning Meetings to be more interesting for the whole community. She said she wants Morning Meetings to be more interactive as it will help the student body be more engaged. Murigande would like to open space for students to have Q&A’s with speakers and allow students to go up and occasionally share their thoughts and opinions to make sure students feel heard and seen. Murigande said, “I want Morning Meetings to be fun. I don’t want people to fall asleep and get bored. I want people to be excited for Morning Meetings and I want to be a ray of sunshine for everyone.” 

Murigande would also like to make DOPA (Department of Performing Arts) Days more accessible for students, and would like to showcase more student art and talent. Murigande wants to encourage more students, not just Student Performing Groups (SPGs) to perform for those days.  “If people want the chance to perform, I want them to know that there is a space for them,” she said.

Violet Paull (Xavier Rolston)

I decided to run for Co-Chair because Masters means so much to me. I felt that it was a role that needed to be filled and I felt like I had the skills to be a good representative of the Masters community.

— Violet Paull

Candidate and Model United Nations Co-President Violet Paull said, “I think that the role of co-chair is the most important role a student can fill on campus in terms of the involvement, serving as a liaison between the administration and students. You represent Masters.” Paull said she felt inspired by former Co-Chairs Sophia Viscarello and Caio Lanes to run for co-chair. Since the beginning of the year, Paull has consistently attended Executive Committee meetings throughout the year and has actively engaged in it. 

Paull has made it one of her running points during this election to maintain strong community connections. Paull identified a disconnect in between the student body and their knowledge of activities being discussed in the Executive Committee. To prevent this from happening further, she aims to create a system of transparency which allows students to remain up-to-date. Furthermore, Paull desires a more accessible way to join and learn about clubs. “I want to make sure that Masters is a place where students can be involved and where people get support when they are involved.”

Overall Paull expressed her gratitude to the school and how it motivated her to run for this position. She said,“ I decided to run for co-chair because Masters means so much to me. I felt that it was a role that needed to be filled and I felt like I had the skills to be a good representative of the Masters community.”

Mahlet Messay (Xavier Rolston)

I think that proctorship has helped me with community bonding. At the beginning of the year we do a lot of that, making sure everyone feels comfortable in the space that they’re in, but I’ve also learned what it takes to be in a leadership position and being a proctor has made me relentless to make everyone feel happy and welcomed.

— Mahlet Messay

The final candidate, and Ford Dorm Proctor, Mahlet Messay, said she wants to serve her community as Co-Chair. She takes her inspiration from previous Co-Chair’s, especially current Co-Chair Zahali Vauclena.  She said she loves Masters and would love to follow other Co-Chair’s footsteps in being a positive role model at Masters. Messay said she believes that being a dorm proctor has prepared her for the position.

“I think that proctorship has helped me with community bonding. At the beginning of the year we do a lot of that, making sure everyone feels comfortable in the space that they’re in, but I’ve also learned what it takes to be in a leadership position and being a proctor has made me relentless to make everyone feel happy and welcomed,” said Messay. 

Messay’s big focus is to make sure that everyone and their ideas feel welcome and heard in the community. Messay’s main goal is to make Executive Committee a more accessible place for everyone as she feels that more people would be interested in it if they knew more about it.

“I’m super excited. It’s a really good group of people and I would be happy if anyone won. I’m super honored that people think I’m capable of serving.”

The final results are expected to be announced sometime during the week of May 15.