In almost all Pakistani schools and colleges, a gown or some other garment like a sash represents the leadership body that handles the institute and the student body, setting them apart from the rest of the school. Nixor College, however made history in January when The Class of 2013's Student Government voluntarily decided to forgo their gowns, creating a level playing field that does not differentiate leaders from the student body in any way. For the rest of gov2013's tenure, anybody walking in would not have been able to discern between leader and student except by observation of behavior.
To get an insight into changing this tradition and what it took to shift this paradigm, we approached the President of Nixor Government himself. We spoke to Arsalaan Allawala about the origins and process of the decision, why it happened and its perceived impact.
Z: Why do you think there was a need to remove gowns?
A: This was something that always clicked to me. I never really saw sense behind it and if I don’t see sense behind it, its almost impossible for me to do it. We shouldn't do worldly things just because they're done like that and nobody ever thought differently about them before. I was a part of the student council in my previous school but we didn’t do anything to change stuff since we didn’t have the opportunity to do so. At Nixor, we had that privilege to influence school direction considerably, to lead and to make decisions that will be beneficial for Nixor students. At Nixor, we do things for a reason and that's why this specially bothered me. We're all about challenging redundant and counter productive norms. I found no reason behind having gowns. If something is there that holds no significance and no meaning, then it shouldn’t be there, specially if its continued presence has multiple negative consequences including stimulating division and allowing for incorrect perceptions to rise about student government's role and approach.
Z: So what was your action plan?
A: I thought about it for some time, whether should we or should we not, whether it’s a good decision or a bad one. You need to think things through and create several impact-paths before making up your mind about the valence of an action of this scale. So what I did was that I initially started not wearing my own gown because you have to be the change you wish to see. I wore the gown in the first 2 weeks of my presidency but after that I just stopped wearing it. I spoke to a few Government members about this and I shared my feelings about the gown concept with them. I explained to them my ideas, the concept behind a black cloth, its psychological impact on government members, its role in bridging gaps, whether it makes our job as government members more efficient, does it allow for real true leadership, do policy makers need gowns or is it just a kings' garment and stuff like that. There were informal discussions over lunches and breakfasts and debates in meetings and over a period of three months, people slowly started to understand what I meant. From an initial vote of 1 against 26, we finally moved to forego the gown when it was passed by a two-thirds majority in January.
Z: The gowns were a representation for Nixor Government, the leaders of the student body at Nixor. Don’t you think that not having a representation would hamper your ability to do your job and whether you’ll be unsuccessful in achieving this paradigm shift?
A: I believe that not wearing a gown itself is a paradigm shift so we are achieving that because we've already stepped outside the box and shown that they're not needed. Secondly, let me clarify what Student Government’s job is at Nixor. Our job is not to be the police force or to order people around. Members of government who instruct to students what to do, order around or are rude and employ their perceived authority to ensure that people do the right thing are not doing their jobs well. Our job is to be the leaders of this student society. To create policy. To inspire. If everybody in government does their job ideally, every Nixor student will get the "why's" of what we do here and then you don't need to request anybody to not litter or wait patiently in line because they'll do it themselves. And that's what governments role is: to ensure, inshaAllah, that people get Nixor enough and that they are motivated and inspired enough. To do that, to energize people, to guide them towards a common goal, you don't need to wear special garments. Kings wear gowns. You don’t see Barack Obama wearing a gown or a uniform right? Why not? Because it doesn't matter. So does it hurt our job or our influence, I think its quite the opposite.
The leader comes from within you, but if you think that leader is facilitated by a piece of garment, then I don’t think that is leadership. In conclusion, if you are a good leader then you need to have good influence in order to guide, motivate, inspire and impact. That doesn’t come from a gown.
Z: If Government are the leaders, who are the police?
A: It’s you. Each and every one of you. If you feel that if you have a sense of responsibility towards this campus and this country, which I'm sure most do, then why do you need a police force? You need your conscience to guide you more than you need a police force. And that’s why student government is not a police force. It should motivate and inspire you to do the right thing rather than enforcing it upon you. And wearing a gown is a barrier in the path of that achievement.
Z: Do you think Government members wearing gowns were differentiated or elevated from the rest of the student body?
A: Visually we were differentiated. In terms of treatment, no.
Imagine yourself to be in a room full of seventy people who belong to the same culture; sixty eight of them are wearing the same clothes while two are dressed differently. If a spectator from outside walks in, don’t you think their attention will be specially drawn towards the two people dressed differently even though they all are equal and part of the same team? That’s the whole point of uniforms in schools, so that we are all on an equal footing. Thirty out of 1200 having gowns and three of those having red stripes makes them look more elevated amongst everyone else even though they are not. Why should we be differentiated? We are all students of Nixor College, and we should all be treated the same by our teachers, administration and peers. So why should we be visually elevated when we are not in treatment and equality? Hence the decision to give up on gowns, so that we are all equal 1200 individuals working very hard to achieve the paradigm shift that Nixor is meant to be, not just thirty individuals committed to that vision.
Z: What are the characteristics for a member of student government, how would you want them to be?
A: I could write an essay on that one! You should be genuine. You’ve got to love this place like insane, work for the right reasons, believing and wanting to achieve our common goals. That’s the primary deliverable. The second deliverable is that you should be committed to your job, because it’s a tough job. The third deliverable is to care about others more than yourself. If something wrong is happening, it should hurt each and every member of the team, they should look for a solution. We look for solutions to fix things right if something wrong is happening. Having a vision is very important. You’ve got to have the ability to dream, to invent, to explore. You should have the ability to inherit and the ability to leave behind better than what you inherited. The fifth and final deliverable is that you should think. You should be smart, not A* students but students who are thoughtful. You should also be honest, humble, polite, kind, respectful, respectable. Be who you are! People shouldn't be the way they are because they are in government, they get into government because of the way they are. Its a package of lots of things actually.
Z: What would you say about the ‘want’ and ‘desire’ to be a part of student government?
A: There is nothing wrong in wanting to be a part of government, however you must know why you want to be there. But you must not work to impress. Work for the right reasons. Because that’s what we require in student government. Genuine people. Be honest to yourself and be dignified about what you do. Don’t work to show it to anybody or for people to recognize the work you do. You won’t achieve anything by doing that. When you come back to Nixor in five years and think to yourself 'that is there because I made it happen alhumdulillah' or hear students using phrases and talking about concepts you initiated, or when people like the Baldia fire victims pray for your benefit while they weep with gratitude, you will know that the thrill you get from that is far more fulfilling than when your name is announced as an inductee. Want government not for itself but as a bridge to contribution and personal growth.
Z: What is the Government’s job?
A: It's a tough one. There are two branches: operational, and student-oriented. Operational includes all subcommittees and managing a budget of Rs 4,000,000. The student side is the crucial job. It is to make sure communication is functional, that the gaps in the school system are being identified and addressed, interacting daily with the students and hearing out their problems and solving them, facilitating students in every way possible, helping them adjust to Nixor and feel like they belong here, feel ownership, channeling their energies in the right direction, helping student exceed their potential and then leaving behind a successor team who can continue the job once we've graduated. Government's job is also to provide students with the platform that they need to stand up and be counted. But most importantly, our job is to try our best to make sure that every student at Nixor understands that everything that student government does or attempts to do is also their job and not just that of their leaders.
Z: One word for Nixor Government?
A: Possible.
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