New President Vows To Help Animals

Jesamir Ibrahim, 14, took the oath of office after winning the presidency on a platform both local and global.

Ibrahim won the race for president at K‑8 Columbus Family Academy in Fair Haven with promises to work to end bullying, to implement a suggestion box for all students to give input, and to raise money to donate to ​“both animal and human shelters” in the area.

With an eye to Puerto Rico, Ibrahim said he plans to organize additional fundraising events in order to help spay, neuter, and find homes for wild dogs in the country where he and many other Columbus Academy students still have family.

“Every time I go over there, I feel bad for the little dogs. Their hair is all messed up, and they look sick,” said newly elected Seventh-Grade Vice- President Gian Melendez, 12, who was born in Puerto Rico and goes back every year or so. He said he endorses the plan to raise money for the animals back on the island.

In a bilingual ceremony this past Thursday, Columbus inaugurated its 2013 – 2014 consejo estudiantil (student council), including homeroom representatives, a treasurer, secretary, president and vice president.

Columbus is one of a handful of New Haven schools that use both English and Spanish throughout the school day. Many students are first- or second-generation immigrants.

Adviser Jackie Townes said she calls the group ​“student government, not student council.” She holds the student election on the Monday before the Election Day to coincide with state and national elections, because she wants to make sure that students relate the small-scale political scene to the macro picture.

“They do tend to want to promise things – a change in school lunches, or the elimination of uniforms,” Townes said. ​“Sometimes they promise things that aren’t necessarily possible.”

Voices of Columbus

Puerto-Rican born President Ibrahim, who came to Connecticut when he was 1 year old, lives down the street from Columbus. In addition to his interest in politics, he said, he most enjoys studying science and math, and he’d like to be an ​“Ob/Gyn” when he grows up. ​“I like babies and seeing them be born,” he said of the ambition.

As an ​“ELL kid” (an ​‘English Language Learner’), Ibrahim called it a ​“privilege” to go to a bilingual school, where he can learn to speak both his languages better.

Ibrahim identified a third way of talking: ​“In school I speak ​‘good English,’ the proper way. But outside sometimes I see English spoken in a ghetto way by adults,” Ibrahim said. ​“And sometimes I talk that way with friends.”

Meridaliz Delima, 14, a homeroom representative, said she ran for office because she ​“wants students to have a voice.” Fluent in English and Spanish, Delima is also learning Italian.

“If students talk to me, I can speak up to Miss Townes, and Miss Townes can make it happen,” she said of the political process. She is also in favor of the suggestion box, so people can submit ideas anonymously.

Delima said she thinks Ibrahim will help govern Columbus well. ​“He lives up to his expectations,” she said.

Election Issues: Uniforms and Bullying

At the end of the inauguration ceremony, students were given the ​“mala noticias” (the bad news) that Columbus’s uniform would remain the same: baby blue shirts and navy pants. Delima, for one, wasn’t overly disappointed.

“I like it because it helps represent us as a school, but we could represent ourselves instead,” if there were no required uniform, she said.

Delima mentioned that clothes can sometimes contribute to bullying on campus.

“A lot of times I see people crying because other people say, ​‘You don’t have another pair of shoes?’ or they’ll say someone is looking trashy,” she said.

Melendez said he supports the anti-bullying group Ibrahim is putting together, called ​“Silence,” to combat the stigma around talking about bullying. The group meets on Tuesday and plans to come up with specific projects and events to stop younger students from making fun of one another.

All of the students interviewed said they consider bullying ​“a problem” at Columbus. They agreed that it is probably no bigger than at other schools and that it mostly takes place in younger grades.

“Some girls who are on Facebook and have boyfriends talk about each other’s boyfriends on the site,” said Melendez.

Tyanny Paladines said, ​“You have to control your attitude so you don’t get bullied, and so you don’t become a bully yourself,” said homeroom representative Tyanny Paladines, who is 13.

Also On The Agenda…

Stephanie Torres, 8th grade vice president, said she would like to organize a ​“Secret Santa” exchange at Christmas and have an Easter bunny visit classrooms on Easter. Melendez said he would like to put together a baseball team to meet after school.

This year, representatives from the 5th and 6th grades were elected, in addition to 7th and 8th graders.