The 11th Board's Final Goodbyes
The 2025-2026 academic year has come to an end. What a year it has been! With all the productions, activities, backstage nerves, rumbling applause, and proud bows, it was surely a year to remember. We hope you had fun. Well, at least we know that the 11th board, people behind this year’s big decisions, did (despite a couple of white hairs). As a little wrap-up, the 11th board was asked to answer a couple of questions about their board year. Curious to know a bit more about how it was for people in charge? Read on, let’s reminisce together!
1. If you had to describe this board year in one word, what would it be?
Kai (Chair): perturbing (if you know you know)
Alex (Vice-Chair and Head of External Affairs): rollercoaster
Pavani (Head of Productions): rollercoaster
Lucas (Treasurer): uncertainty
Sam (Head of Activities): rollercoaster
El (Head of Marketing): growth
Writer’s note: Alex, Pavani, and Sam answered the question separately, having no idea what the others wrote. I guess it says something about the board’s experience :)
2. What is your proudest achievement as a board member this year?
Kai: My proudest achievement would be keeping the core aspects of my own personality and character throughout the year despite the exciting new position.
Alex: Surviving
Pavani: Every single production was a proud achievement. Being HoP, you’re elbow deep in each project and are very aware of the amount of people putting in love and hard work into their performances. So seeing them take those well-deserved bows at the end is unbelievably rewarding.
Lucas: Organizing the Old Scuola MM's, the overall financial health of the organisation, and not strangling Sam for the entire year. Not even once.
Sam: Beyond the Acting Course and laying the foundations for our Production Course, staying (semi) consistent with activities throughout the year is much more difficult than it seems. None of that could’ve been possible without my Committee members (shout-out Iga, Elitsa, and Hania!), but also coming up with ideas organically throughout the year made me an overall more creative person in my day-to-day and has led to very fun passion projects of my own.
El: Writing Committee! I’m very glad to have created a new space for people to express their creativity, and I really hope our next HoM will carry the committee into the next year :)
3. What is your favorite memory of this board year?
Kai: Could not put it down to one memory. I really loved cooking for my board for one of our meetings.
Alex: All our board bonding activities
Pavani: During our first MM (also my first production as HoP), it was very important to me to put on a good show. This, inevitably, came with a lot of stress on the day off. I remember texting on the board group chat to ask for hands, and having them assemble like the Avengers was MAGICAL. I think I cried a little when I saw Sam.
Lucas: Performing Crisis Management at Night of Short Plays
Sam: Oddly enough, it’s the times where I felt the most stressed that I look back on the most fondly. At the beginning of the year, I think all of us were trying to find our footing – an all-new board proved to have its pros and cons, and looking back on it, the learning process within the first few months was where I gained the most. It’s why I chose the word ‘rollercoaster’ as my number one descriptor: Sometimes it was hell-ish, and sometimes it was near euphoric, but all of it was done with my board members by my side, 5 people I couldn’t be more thankful for.
El: Our first board-bonding activity at Alex’s house somewhere back in September. I think it was the only board-bonding that all six of us actually managed to attend, because afterwards everyone was too busy. It was wholesome, we were all so excited about the big journey ahead of us.
4. What is the one thing that you learned during this board year?
Kai: I learned that I probably want to do theatre professionally.
Alex: There is always a solution if u share the issue openly.
Pavani: Ask for help. It’s okay to do that sometimes.
Lucas: Negotiating.
Sam: Honestly, there are so many little things to learn from being a board member that it’s hard to pick just one. A skill I’ll definitely carry with me forever is the ability to pick your battles – I’m argumentative and nitpicky by nature, which can sometimes make more obstacles in the road than needed. My fellow board members will know me best by the phrase “I don’t fully understand, but I have opinions” (something I’ve actually found myself saying over the course of my board year). Knowing when and where to say (or not say) “Yes, but…”, as well as being able to surrender when you know it's best for the association, is an invaluable trait.
El: Compromising and restraint. Even working with your favorite people in the world can sometimes get on your nerves, not to mention those outside of committed WILDe circles. Sometimes it’s important to get over yourself, bite your tongue, and bend for the greater good of the association.
5. What would you like to say to the next board/the future generation of WILDe?
Kai: Give the productions committee all the flowers.
Alex: It'll be rough, but it will be all worth it in the end.
Pavani: STAY WHIMSICAL BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!! This group of people has created an incredible community. We cannot rob the world of this.
Lucas: WILDe can never trust a marketing team that is not its own. (Directed at no one in particular, of course)
Sam: Be ambitious. Be out there, and dream big. A bit over ten years ago, WILDe was just a group of friends who liked theatre, and now, we’re an official association, with our own reputation, and we’ve got three musicals to our name. None of that would be possible without the people in charge reaching for the moon. If you fall, that’s okay – you’ll land among the stars. Being realistic in certain situations is also inherently valuable, and there should always be someone grounded to keep the board sane, but you should always try to stretch out of your comfort zone. Uncomfortability means new ground is being broken, new goals being met, and new passions being ignited.
El: Believe in yourself, never stop chasing your dreams, and keep going. Stay creative, put yourself out there, and love what you do and people you do it with bravely and unapologetically. It’s worth it, I promise.
It’s time to say our goodbyes. Gods, how I hate goodbyes. Don’t forget about us, okay? We know we weren’t perfect, and we still have so much to learn, but I can promise you that we did our best and put as much love into everything we did as our little hearts could carry. Please think of us fondly and carry our mission forward. We will miss you so much, our beautiful theatre kids. But we are leaving you in good hands. See you around, creative folks :)
Written by Olena (El) Navrotska, your humble Head of Marketing from the 11th Board and the founder of the Writing Committee :)
You can find El on Instagram: @el.lllusion