On January 15th, members of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) decided to reward Ms. Abigail Holtz for her help, with a gift bag.
Ms. Holtz had replaced Mr. Bradbury in the first quarter and for part of the second quarter as the club’s sponsor. The members wanted to show their appreciation for her help, especially helping them with their annual competition the Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (MIST), and also for letting the association pray in her classroom. The gift bag contained a mug with the word “
“Ultimately its nice to be recognized for giving freely of yourself,” said Ms. Holtz, an English teacher at Eleanor Roosevelt High School.
Freshman Tabiyyah Khan, a member of the MSA, expressed gratitude towards Ms. Holtz.
“She helped us out a lot because Mr. Bradbury couldn’t …We’re just giving her this gift bag to show her that we care.” She also mentioned that, “We got her a card, so she can personally see how we care about her.”
Another member of the MSA, sophomore Fadil Ibrahim loved “the warm feeling” that the association got from Ms. Holtz.
“It’s not just what she did, but the vibe she gave all of us,” he said.
The Muslim Student Association started in 2001, around the time of the 9/11 Terrorist Attack. Mr. Bradbury, who went to high school in the Middle East, agreed to sponsor the club.
He stated, “a former student wanted to start it to bring Muslim students together.” Because of his experience in the Middle East, Mr. Bradbury felt that “when the Muslim club started, I was just a natural person to be the sponsor.” In addition, he said it was “easy for me to be the sponsor, because I know more about Islam than your average American.”
Currently, the MSA is preparing for their annual competition, MIST, in which students compete in activities ranging from art and the spoken word, to basketball.
Khan said, “there’s everything.” “Whatever you’re good at you just join that competition and compete.” ERHS usually places each year, with a habit for coming in second. However, Khan said “a lot of people are saying that we’re going to come in 1st this year.”
Students participating in MIST are mostly Muslim, however it is not a requirement. Training includes Sunday practice at the University of Maryland, with coaches helping the students.
