"If an individual wants to be a leader and isn't controversial, that means he never stood for anything." - President Richard M. Nixon

By the time you read this, I will be an MC graduate. I have decided to write one last edition of THE VOICE in hopes that you, the underclassmen, will press on next year for the types of changes that I have advocated this year.

Before I begin, however, I need to apologize. This year, I have been very unfair to Ms. Johnson and Ms. Imondi, the moderators of the Student Council. Though it is no secret that I have disagreed with some of the Council's policies, I have promoted the conception all year that there are numerous fraudulent activities taking place within the SAC. I certainly did not intend to paint the Council as an illegitimate organization, and I regret creating the perception that Ms. Johnson or Ms. Imondi were not running their organization properly. While I certainly would have proposed changes to the operations of their organization, I unfairly used this column to write what seemed like attacks on the Council. For that, I apologize.

That said, my vision for the future of MC student government remains unchanged. Picture this: months before student representative elections take place, each of the two political parties (the MC and the Lancer party, for sake of argument) hold extravagant conventions complete with balloons and confetti, impassioned speeches, and official party nominations. I can only imagine the interest that these party conventions would spark in MC student politics. While, admittedly, students are not the ultimate authority on school policy or administrative decisions, students should have a much bigger say in the important facets of school life.

For example, there is one fight that the administration and faculty will need the students' help to win. There is an immense drug culture here at MC. The students know this well. The search held by the administration and the Middlesex County Sheriff's Office was a good start, but it produced no results. The only way to find the drugs at MC is to search backpacks and students. If the administration is committed to a drug-free environment, they cannot stop with the lockers. I applaud the administration for showing a no-nonsense attitude in this operation, but students put drugs in their backpacks, not their lockers.

Weeks later, the administration imported a nationally-renowned victim of drunk driving to speak to the junior and senior classes. Directly before this speaker's presentation, however, one-third of the senior class was dismissed for their AP classes. Despite the magnitude of the speaker's message, a critical portion of the senior class was allowed to leave. This was a difficult decision for the administration to make, but drunk driving is infinitely more important than one period of AP classes. After all, the juniors were missing equally important classes. Special consideration should not have been paid for senior AP classes in this situation. Again, while I applaud the administration for bringing this important message into MC, the event's execution was flawed by the senior dismissal.

That said, I am aware of some controversy caused by the views that I expressed in the last edition of THE VOICE. Allow me to defend some of my points. I was admittedly extreme in my choice of words. Saying that I was "embarrassed" to be part of an apathetic student body and that I was issuing my "resignation" from MC were extreme ways of expressing my frustration with the absence of progress. This year, several nascent groups were cut down by strong opposition. I piloted my Student Discussion Forum to its first meeting, but the faculty members present at the meeting seemed strongly opposed to such a group's existence. It seems that the adults of MC are not upset that students do not have a stronger voice in the school community, and it seems that the students are not trying hard enough to get it.

Maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps students don't want a voice, or perhaps students wouldn't have anything to say with it. But I am convinced that giving students the power to reach the administration directly, en masse, cannot be a bad thing. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and the most direct line to progressive change is between the students and the administration.

I must also stress to the faculty members that my praise of Mr. Abizaid was not at all intended to take away from the impact that you have on students. I would think that you all have a firm grasp on your role as mentors to students. You are all aware of your influence on me and my fellow alumni, and I hope that you continue your work with the current students of MC. I also hope that you place a strong emphasis on each student's role in the world outside MC's walls.

I was also chided for expressing my views on God and spirituality. Faith is a journey. I would hope that all students are questioning their faith, because that is the route to strengthening it. For those that have called me a godless heathen, that is only partially true; I have read five books on Christianity and spirituality in the past four months, and will continue to read books about faith. Faith in God is not automatic, and it should not be taken for granted. Like chemistry or calculus, a deep understanding about faith can only be reached by reading and reflection. Strong faith can only be reached through inquiry.

For those students that misunderstood my original message and still harbor negative feelings about what I wrote, take this as my final message: I know that there is only so much that I can say before I start to sound like a condescending jerk. My hope for you is that you will all commit yourselves to doing the best that you can do. There is no excuse not to excel at whatever your talent is. MC is an environment that fosters growth, and you have no excuse not to take advantage of the exceptional people that surround you. The extracurricular program at MC is outstanding, so take advantage of it.

I recently penned an uninspired, boring piece for the graduating seniors to appear in "The Graduate," the seniors' commemorative newspaper. There is nothing left to say to them, except to remain faithful to MC as alumni. My honest hope is that you, the underclassmen, will take care of this school and lobby for more power in the decision-making process. When you spot irregularities, like the Pat Keith for President mishap in last month's elections, don't sit back and accept them. Speak out for a re-vote with the proper names on the proper ballots. Complacency is easy, but an MC education has never been about taking the easy road.

Remember that MC is not an 8:05 to 2:10 way of life. Neither is it a 2:30 to 5:30 way of life. It is midnight-to-midnight, every day, from your first class as a freshman to your last lacrosse game after graduation. Total devotion to MC would definitely precipitate the type of interest in school affairs that I have envisioned. It is up to you, the students, to get what you want out of this school, and you only get out what you put in. The ultimate advice I can give you: invest your time in MC.

Farewell, Malden Catholic. Thank you for what you have done for me and my classmates.