MR. PRESIDENT

What would be better than roaming about school with a badge saying that you are the President of a certain Club pinned to your shirt. It is amazing. You get all the attention in the world and people keep staring (sometimes glaring)  at your chest where the badge is located. It feels like you are one in a million. You are the one who has that badge pinned to your shirt, you are the damn lucky person who got the position. Teachers think you are studious just because of that badge. The best part is, the badge doesn't call you the member of the Club, it calls you the President!

This happened to me yesterday. In school we had an inauguration ceremony for the five Clubs in the school namely: The Literary Club, The Debating Society, The Quiz Club, The Music Club and the Arts Club. The Music and the Arts Club were new editions. The Presidents and the Secretaries of each of these Clubs were all ready with their blazers on and uniforms tucked in and ties in proper positions. They all happily entered the auditorium with great expectations from the ceremony.

The ceremony didn't seem to disappoint us, it started off with the reports which had to be read out by the previous year's Secretaries and I was one of them. With a lot of pride I stepped on stage to give my best.

Before I go on any further we need to know what happened before the ceremony, before a plethora of ecstatic things happened on stage. Firstly, the ceremony was after school so everyone participating in the ceremony or students who were invited to watch it were asked to stay back. When the rest of the students were dispersing to their buses or cars we were busy enjoy ourselves by chit-chatting and eating our lunch.
"Mr. President, going to get your badge today, shining and all huh." one of my friends commented.
"Well, maybe I am." I replied
"Good luck with the report, don't read it out like a dou-" my friend was about to complete, but was interrupted by the entry of our Supervisor. He looked at me and smiled, due to the blazer which I was wearing, he understood that I was going to get a badge. By this time the Secretary of the Literary Club who was selected by the teacher in charge and I, came in with his blazer on.
"All set?" our Supervisor asked.
I wanted to say 'Hell yeah', but what came out is-
"Yes!" the Secretary replied the same.

After confirming the time we had to be present in the auditorium from the teacher I went back to class to chillax a bit. After all I didn't have to mug up my report. Just read and speak like a damn orator.

The auditorium was full of activities when I arrived there and these activities were stuff like connecting the laptop to the projector, keeping everything ready for the function, mic testing etc. Everyone was busy hurrying up and after ten minutes of standing in a place I was given a place to sit. I was confined to that seat for most of the ceremony. I was holding a file in my hand which contained my report. After sometime when all the senior staff reached the venue the function began.

The mic ahead of me, every bodies eyes on me, the Gods from heaven looked down at me and the devils from hell looked at me from their hot and inconspicuous place. There was nothing that distinguished me from the audience but the blazer I was wearing. Yet, I was on stage with the paper in front of me and the rest weren't. I made sure the mic was working and then I began. I began with great confidence and then my mouth went on like I had no control of it. My voice modulated itself, my mouth paused when it had to and started again when it had to. All I could see was the words in front of me and the school Principal nodding his head. Whether nodding was because he was accepting something I said or was it just to say he was listening and understanding I wasn't sure. There was only one thing I was sure of; I gave it my best.

After my report, the former Secretaries of the two other Clubs gave their speeches. The Music Club and the Arts Club had no report as they never existed the previous year. Like that it was time to get the badges. We went on stage and stood there until our turn came to receive the badge. The Principal gave a short speech before we received our badges.

The Headmaster was the lucky one who got to pin the badge on my blazer. He came up took the badge in his hands and while pinning it  asked me a question-
"President of the Literary Club," he said 'What are your plans for this year?"
I thought only for a fraction of a second as I couldn't mention any particular activity which I could talk about so I found the easiest way to escape the situation-
"Lots sir!"
The Headmaster was dumbfounded, it wasn't the answer he wanted yet it was an answer. He proceeded with pinning the other badges.


Then came the Music Club's energetic display. The band played four to five songs and then they gave a ecstatic ending with the guitar and drums. It was altogether an awesome display.

Later, we had a skit performed by my Club and it was quite humourous and the acting was amazing. The skit was from the original 'Villa for Sale' drama by Sacha Guitry. English textbooks do help in such cases. The skit was liked by all including me. The only problem was that they were speaking through hand mics and that made it a bit irritating because the words sometimes weren't heard properly.

After the great skit was the debate and it was the most boring part of the function as it was always one sided and beginning from the first proposition we understood that the opposition had won this one. That was the final event and then all of us headed towards the bus saying good-bye to the school.

The next day, it was day of badge admiration. Everyone had to take a look at that thing on my chest. And they all said the same thing-"Mr. President!"

Hasta La Vista,
K