New Student Government President Sworn In At Morristown-Beard

A new student president has taken the reins at the Morristown-Beard School, a longstanding institution this year celebrating 125 years of education. Officially elected this past spring, President Ryan Waters and other student government members and class officers were sworn in during the induction ceremony this past Friday.

Ryan Waters is the latest to head the student body in a time-honored tradition since the school's inception over a hundred years ago. He follows in a long line of proud leaders who've taken the student body helm. According to Dorcas R. Hardy, a 1964 graduate who served formerly as the U.S. Commissioner of Social Security, the student government at MBS played a decisive role in her future.

"My whole experience there nurtured my passion for government and service," Hardy said of her time at the Beard School.

Dr. Joseph Nye, a 1954 graduate of MBS and a noted foreign policy expert who has served as Dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University has lauded the experience of serving in the student government.

"Serving as a Senior Prefect was a great way to learn leadership by doing," Nye remarked. "Student government allowed us freedom with responsibility."

Sioban A. Teare, of the 1977 class, who is a Superior Court Judge for the State of New Jersey, has said that the student government at MBS had impact. "I was on the student government my entire time at MBS, except when I lost the presidency my senior year. My SGA activity now seems to be the foundation of my career — the seeds for representing the voiceless, representing people and ideas, even when the people and ideas weren't popular. I learned that failure was not bringing a new idea or opinion forward to the SGA, and there was no real loss in being defeated in a vote."

Now Waters, Class of 2017 and one of the most decorated swimmers in MBS history, having earned All-America honors from the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Assocation, is following in the footsteps of individuals who've gone on to succeed in enumerable ways.

Headmaster Peter Caldwell inducted the officers for 2016 – 2017 on Friday, September 16, and concluded the event by presenting the gavel to Ryan Waters ’17, President of the Student Government Association (SGA).

"The SGA provides an experience in the democratic process in School activities, a voice for student concerns, and encourages the student body to develop a spirit of cooperation for the betterment of the School community," a press release stated.

The MBS Student Government Officers for the current school year include:

Executive Cabinet:

President: Ryan Waters
Vice-President: Sam Nadler
Treasurer: Charlie Ewig
Secretary: Izzy Pompeo
Public Relations Officer: Dede Passione

Class of 2017:

President: Charlie Naples
Vice-President: Jake Kurz
Treasurer: Johnny Schaaf
Secretary: Terri Green
Public Relations Officer: Olivia Braunstein

Class of 2018:

President: Joey Fazio
Vice-President: Blake Kernen
Treasurer: Natalie Pruitt
Secretary: Alexa DiNorscio
Public Relations Officer: Sarah Bregna

Class of 2019:
President: Maggie Cotter
Vice-President: Harry Gregory
Treasurer: Arik Morton
Secretary: Leslie Phillips
Public Relations Officer: Grace Goodman

Image via Steve Patchett, MBS, used with permission.