Name: Amer Dastgir
Graduation Year: 2010
Nationality: Bangladeshi
Position Applying for: ISO Presidency
My name is Amer Dastgir and I am a Junior from Bangladesh. Being a member of Middlebury’s International Student community is one of my foremost identities on this campus. As a UWC graduate, I have spent the majority of my formative years in multicultural environments, and have thus come to love and highly value activities which involve exposure and exchanges between cultures. I am also a person who tends to assimilate the cultures I am exposed to, and thus truly regard myself as an embodiment of multiculturalism. I have participated in intercultural activities beginning from my UWC days, carrying it over to my student life here at Middlebury. Thus I am heavily involved in not only the ISO, through my regular and often over-zealous participation in the ISO show, and in helping organise other ISO events, but at the same time, I have also been involved in helping organise the events of other cultural groups on campus, such as the South Asian Students’ Association, UMOJA, and the Islamic Society.
Granted, my involvement has been mostly behind the scenes, in the planning, organising, (and often cooking!) stages, as I have previously shied away from ever taking up a leadership role. But in my eyes that does not make my involvement any less worthy, rather, it only signals that the time has come for me to be emboldened and take my involvement a step further. On that note, I have decided to emerge from the background and run for next year’s ISO Presidency. I would be an appropriate candidate for this position, not only because my involvement in the ISO and the activities of the other cultural organisations reflects my passion for “international” and intercultural activities, but also because my friendly and approachable manner means that I would be a readily accessible president, since I would always be willing to listen to and act on any feedback, suggestions and criticisms you may have for me and the organisation, whether at board meetings, or even if you see me anywhere on campus! Your voices will be heard and acted upon, and ALWAYS with a smile: that is my fundamental promise!
So on that note, all that remains is for me to ask you, members of the ISO, to vote for me as your next President, so that I may not only continue the ISO’s amazing traditions, but also build on what has been accomplished thus far, using my experience and passion for this organisation, to help make 2009-2010 a memorable year!
