Call to Action: #FreeMostafa

This piece was sent to The Wapiti Weekly anonymously, and as a publication that aims to amplify student opinions, we are posting this in order to give those voices a platform:

We are writing this article to call for the reconsideration of the dismissal of Mostafa. The student body strongly feels that this decision was misled and that this situation calls for a reevaluation. Mostafa has been a member of The Winchendon School community for over three years. Since first arriving onto the Winchendon campus, thirteen years old and far away from his home country of Egypt, he has grown and matured taking on leadership roles, creating meaningful relationships with students and faculty alike. His contributions, from student government to his role as a service learning leader, have shown that he plays a vital role in our community. Us students aren't ready to give him up! A great teammate on the soccer field, a respectful and studious individual in every classroom, and an exceptional member of the community who deserves another chance. Although Mostafa has broken The Winchendon School’s rules, students feel that he was unfairly treated throughout the process, given that other students have received far more complaints, write-ups, and infractions and remain members of this school.

“This school has given and changed me so much and being able to attend the rest of the year and end with a Winchendon diploma in my hand would mean the world to me.” - Mostafa

This past Wednesday, The Winchendon School students honored “Unity Day”. In light of this, students are standing together, uniting, for a fellow student whom we love and value dearly. The eruption of support for Mostafa is proof of his prominent impact here at this school. We believe Mostafa is a student who is worth advocating for, and while understanding the risks of this movement, we are confident in this matter.

With Mostafa's assurance in his ability to return and continue being a valuable member of the community, and his commitment to leaving a positive impact, we would hope the administration listens to our voices and allows him to come back home.