Letter From Student Body President

Student+Body+President+Abdullah+Brown-El+%E2%80%9818+is+a+busy+man.+He+finds+his+time+outside+of+Student+Congress+split+between+schoolwork%2C+competing+on+the+offensive+and+defensive+line+on+the+gridiron%2C+winning+school-wide+debates%2C+and+working+at+the+Saint+Louis+History+Museum.

Eddie Ko

Student Body President Abdullah Brown-El ‘18 is a busy man. He finds his time outside of Student Congress split between schoolwork, competing on the offensive and defensive line on the gridiron, winning school-wide debates, and working at the Saint Louis History Museum.

Abdullah Brown-El, Contributor

JBS Students,

I hope y’all had a great summer and got a chance to relax and catch up on some Z’s. I’m sure most of you will be tired of hearing my voice, so I’m gonna keep this pretty short and sweet.

I know I’m probably a pretty weird guy for liking the start of school, but there’s always something so exciting about the fall season. It’s all about the crisp smell of textbooks and musty football gear permeates in the air and the palpable feeling of seventh graders’ anxiety for the solo trip. (It’s not that bad, really.) August brings the opportunity for new beginnings, and I’m really excited for what this year holds.

We over in Student Congress will be working very hard to deliver a memorable school year to our community, so please don’t be shy about reaching out to any of us–seriously, I doubt that Yara Levin ‘22 will bite.

In concluding my brief ramblings, I have a bit of advice for everyone. I will have talked about this on the opening day of assembly, but I want to say again: don’t be afraid to give your best self to the school. Don’t be afraid to speak up in that class, or submit that work of art to The Review or try out that new sport. I’m sure Mrs. LaVigne and everyone over at the admissions office knew what they were doing when they admitted you, and everyone has something important to contribute to this place on many levels.

Personally, I do many things poorly, but that won’t stop me from singing the high notes of “Mary’s Lullaby” wildly off key or power skipping down the hallway, challenging Brandon Miller ‘20 to race.       I thought long and hard on what I wanted the 2017-18 community to leave behind, and, instead of declaring a “Year of the ___”, I hope that the idea of “Giving Our Best Selves” will remain long after we are all gone.

Fellow members of the Class of 2018, we may be the greatest class in Burroughs history and all, but it’s not just on us to be the leaders of the school because, sadly, we happen to graduate this June. So I’m calling on everyone from Tyler Rush ‘23 to Karuna Kayembe ‘21, to Jon Sky ‘20 to Ethan Wang ‘19, to the seniors of course, and to everyone in between to carry the flag. I love this place, and I’m sure most of y’all do as well, and it’s really all on us to make it the type of atmosphere that gets us all excited to push through those wooden doors every day.

With Much Love,  AHB