Sanghvi makes SMOB history

On May 11, Sagar Sanghvi, a junior from Colonel Magruder High School, cast his vote as an "aye" on delaying the implementation of MCPS' new grading and reporting policy in high schools by another year. After months of deliberation and over six hours in that day's meeting alone, Sanghvi began his first meeting as the recently re-elected Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) by finally closing an issue he had advocated since the beginning of the school year.

When Sanghvi won the SMOB election on April 28, he made MCPS history by becoming the first SMOB to be selected to serve a second term. In what MCPS officials confirm is the second-closest election in the 27-year history of the SMOB, Sanghvi narrowly beat out Blair's own SMOB candidate, junior Amanda Lee.

Since it was established in 1978, the position of the SMOB has steadily risen in power and popularity. The first four SMOBs were elected through nominating conventions rather than direct student votes, according to Karen Crawford, MCPS Coordinator of Student Affairs. Much has changed since then, with this year's election drawing in 83 percent of students, the largest voter turnout ever.

Although current MCPS guidelines do not allow the SMOB to vote on issues concerning the budget, school closings/openings, boundary changes and negative personal matters (topics where possible bias towards a home school is involved), the SMOB has had an increasingly stronger influence in showing regular Board members the student's viewpoint on different legislation, according to an MCPS spokesperson. This is a great improvement compared to what David Naimon, the first SMOB, had the power to do. In the beginning stages, SMOBs had no voting rights, said Crawford, who is working to put together a documentary about the SMOB position in the next few years.

"I've had many, many Board members come say to me that the student Board member brings a perspective that they haven't thought of," explained Crawford. "The student member has had a great impact over the years and has changed Board members' votes politicking behind the scenes."

Crawford cited Sanghvi's past role in altering the zero-tolerance policy to be enforced on a case-by-case basis as evidence of the SMOB's contribution. She said that other Board members had not yet entertained the idea of revising the policy until Sanghvi raised the issue, voicing the student body's and his own opinion.

She added that SMOBs have set milestones in MCPS history, as in 1980, the first minority Board member, Traci Williams, was a SMOB.

Today, Sanghvi is dedicated to his work as the SMOB; he attends Board meetings twice a month that have sometimes lasted up to eight hours. He also attends many school and county council functions and has accumulated over 500 service-learning hours as the SMOB in the last year.

Sanghvi is permitted to leave during school hours for SMOB duties with the knowledge that he is responsible for keeping up in his classes. This commitment has meant missing approximately 60 days of school, but he has managed to work out a "happy balance." "You get used to it," he said. "My friends and family have been very helpful as I've been learning the position and what I can do in that position. I just got the routine down, and now I can take advantage of my experience as the student member of the Board." He currently has a 3.97 unweighted GPA.

In the upcoming year, Sanghvi said he will be concentrating on three main issues: the grading and reporting policy, the Student Advisory Committee (open to all MCPS students kindergarten to 12th grade) he formed to help the SMOB make decisions and the vending machines (see Brit's vending machine story). With Lee's permission, he also plans to try implementing some of her ideas about having closer communication with students.

For more information, visit www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/sga/smob.html