This article comes from the Global Desk, a collaboration between The Gazelle, WSN and On Century Avenue. Read more by searching ‘global.’ Mariam Ehrari is a recent graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences at NYU New York. She served as the Chair of the Student Senators Council (SSC) during the 2013-2014 academic year. Currently, Mariam is on a fellowship with the university working on her own research, as well as working for the Student Life office at NYU Shanghai this semester. On Century Avenue got an opportunity to catch up with Mariam and ask her a few questions about New York and her experience as Chair of the SSC.

So what brought you to Shanghai?

I was an Economics major at NYU, but after the way I had spent my time as a student, going directly to work for corporate America or a big financial firm didn’t sound satisfying. Though it had been the path I had seen myself on for the longest time, I wanted something more gratifying and different as the end neared. I asked for advice from several mentors and was lucky enough to be presented with the opportunity to write a proposal for this position by President Sexton.

What exactly is the SSC?

The SSC is the overarching student governance body at NYU and is comprised of elected representatives from every school at NYU who come together to deliberate on topics that affect the majority, if not all, of the students at NYU. In many ways, the SSC is NYU’s version of Student Government, and the Chair is the President of the Student Government. Regarding my responsibilities as Chair – phew, I’ve blocked those out of my mind already (I’m joking, of course!). The Chair presides over the entire council and is the spokesperson for the Council and the student body; but on a daily basis, their duties entail making sure all questions and issues are answered and dealt with in an effective and efficient way given the resources available, balancing the many opinions of very opinionated people, and being available to the student body of 50,000 students, half of which are older than you because they are graduate students. Being Chair of the Council is definitely very rewarding, but also comes with a lot of responsibilities especially when having to juggle it between academics, internships, and other activities and interests. Despite the challenges though, the experience is wonderful and I wouldn’t change any of part of it – my time in Student Government has definitely played a huge role in who I’ve become and I oftentimes feel that the skills I apply in daily life are as enhanced as they are not because of my academic coursework but because of my co-curricular involvement.

As Chair of the SSC, you have worked very closely with the NYU administration and management, including President John Sexton. What are your views on the Global Network, and where do you see its future? Are there any particular concerns New York or the administration has about its expansion? What would President Sexton have to say about this?

I can’t speak on behalf of anyone, but I personally am a huge proponent of the Global Network which is why I chose to stay in the system. In terms of where the Global Network is going, I think it’s on the right trajectory: I don’t necessarily know if there are any portal campuses coming up in the next few years, but Abu Dhabi and Shanghai were both big risks and anyone who goes to any one of those sites can see how successful they are and how much they’ve paid off. With regards to concern about its expansion, you tend to hear the same thing over and over again: How does the money get allocated? How are the resources distributed? These questions have been answered and while the questions are valid, their answers are as well. There needs to be a little less finger pointing and feelings of jealousy over resource allocation between the three campuses. Working together and sharing resources are the fundamental ideas behind an enterprise like the Global Network, and people choose to become a part of this institution knowing that global is at the top of NYU’s agenda. I think we need to focus on the greater good and see all the by-products of the wonderful enterprise that has been created. I do not speak on behalf of President Sexton, but I see the Global Network in a very similar way he does. You can often hear him say “We’re at our 10 percent right now. We are not at a 100 percent, but I hope that one day we will get there.” He says that even after he steps down, he is going to put effort into making sure that NYU is on the path to that 100 percent (in regards to the Global Network). I very much believe in him and his goals because how often do you hear a great leader admit that something he has created is not where it needs to be? John has been very candid about our progress, and as issues come up, he is right there at the forefront dealing with them; he makes sure that the students and the Global Network are priority.

You were part of the team that created a senatorial position for Shanghai and Abu Dhabi Representatives in the SSC. What were your goals when creating these positions?

The idea is very central to democratic ideology, and boils down to the basic idea that everyone has a right to representation in a representative system. Abu Dhabi and Shanghai had been added to the institution but were yet to have formal representation in the system. While all three sites work differently in many regards, everyone should be allowed a position at the table. This is why we believed Abu Dhabi and Shanghai needed senators. With regards to how this will shape future conversations, I don’t think the current university Senate system works for this Global Network model of NYU, but only time will tell. One initiative to increase the effectiveness of collaboration was the creation of the Global Student Council that has equal representation from all three campuses and ensures that student government is not only reactive to global items but also proactive about the Global Network. In many ways, I think the students are ahead with regards to collaboration across the three sites than any other stakeholder at the university.

How has NYU Shanghai developed since you came here last year for the Student Government Summit?

Initially, and to this day, I am amazed at how creative, resourceful, and generous NYU Shanghai’s student body is. I first came here as a Senior last year, and though I knew that only the freshmen class was here at the time, I often forgot you were freshmen because of how mature everyone was, partly because of how fast you all had to adjust to everything last year and how mature that made you in many regards. Regarding what’s changed, I think the one thing that stands out the most is a sense of identity. When I was here in February, it felt as you were all still in search of an identity for yourselves and the institution. This year, that sense of identity seems to have been found, separate from New York and Abu Dhabi, and it feels like you all are more comfortable with the fact that it is okay to not know everything and not have everything figured out.

If you had the opportunity to go through the undergraduate experience all over again, which of the three portal schools would you choose to go to and why?

This is no secret: I spent a J-term at Abu Dhabi as a junior and fell absolutely in love with the school and the city. I am a sucker for community and while I had not experienced NYU Shanghai at the time, Abu Dhabi’s community was so vastly different than that at New York that I came this close to quitting the SSC and spending my Spring semester at Abu Dhabi. Alas, circumstance wasn’t on my side, but I wish I had checked the box when I had originally applied to NYU.

Last week you hosted the well-received World Bazaar event. What was your aim with this event and how do you think it went?

NYU New York is in its third year of an initiative called the World Tour, which is a programming period where every global site partakes in celebrating the cultures of the world within its student body and the locations of the different NYU campuses. The World Bazaar was our personal celebration of the World Tour: we wanted to showcase and celebrate the different cultures that represent the NYU Shanghai student body as well as NYU on a whole, which is where the duo of site tables and personal performances came into being. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves, and hopefully this will become a tradition of some sorts.

What are your views on the search for NYU’s next President, and what are qualities you would like to see in Sexton’s successor?

I think the approach to solicit feedback from all stakeholders of the university is a very new and important one for NYU, as it shows how important the next president is for the institution as well as the Board of Trustees. While NYU has come this far, it needs a visionary like President Sexton to see it through and make it reach that 100%. Additionally, it is imperative that President Sexton’s successor is willing to take risks – risk-taking is embedded in NYU’s DNA and is the only reason we have gotten this far. Separately, I hope that his successor will make the students and the Global Network a high priority the same way President Sexton has.

As you may know, most of our current sophomores will be studying away next year, spreading themselves all across the Global Network and the world. Do you have any advice or recommendations for them, especially regarding New York?

Regarding New York, I know that everyone is excited to study abroad there but keep in mind that it’s true what they say about New York being overrated. Don’t get me wrong: you should definitely study in New York if you want to, but remember that New York isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s the one site that will most certainly never close, so if you have the option, try a different site first. Learn another language, experience another culture, and then hop over to the beautiful potluck that is New York. I’ve studied abroad in Paris and Abu Dhabi and I’ve visited D.C., Buenos Aires, London, Berlin, Madrid and Prague. You know what, scratch my previous answer about Abu Dhabi – if I could go back, I would spend each semester at a different site; I’d apply to be a student of the GNU. Mariam will be at NYU Shanghai through the end of the semester, so if you have the opportunity, don’t forget to drop by the Office of Student Life and pay her a visit and say hi! OCA would like to thank Mariam for all her help with the school and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors. This article was written by Lathika Mouli. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Zhang Zhan