Stuyvesant Muslim Student Association Secures Third Consecutive Win at MIST

After months of work, Stuyvesant’s Muslim Students Association (MSA), competing under the name Salaam As Stuy, participated in the New York division of the Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (MIST NY) at Hofstra University on April 5 and 6. The team secured its third consecutive victory, becoming the first team to accomplish such a feat.

MIST is an event that hosts a wide variety of competitions at both the regional and national level, aiming to inspire creativity and help students gain a deeper understanding of Islam. “You have categories like [...] Quran, and within that you have Quran memorization and recitation,” senior and MSA president Fabiha Khan said.

Although MIST is an Islamic-oriented competition, it also offers more creative and group-based events that appeal to students of all interests. “You have arts like 2D art, 3D art, and digital art. We have competitions, which [are] improv, Math Olympics, and MIST Bowl, which is kind of like Jeopardy. And then you also have group comps which include social media, science fair, and business venture. You also have writing competitions, which include poetry and spoken word,” Khan said.

Regardless of event, MIST encourages students to explore a specific annual theme in greater depth through their work. “The overall theme for this year was knowledge to action. Basically, how does what you learn correlate with your actions? We had to find a way to incorporate the theme into each of our competitions,” senior and MIST competitor Anisa Anwar said.

The team has won the tournament for the previous two years. Because of their record and longstanding history of participation, competitors were determined to continue their streak and keep the MIST tradition alive.  “Stuy has been doing MIST since 2009, so there’s so much lore behind doing MIST. We’re just making [students] know that we have a legacy to fulfill—not just getting a three-peat but also just participating in MIST, so we should keep our head up and just power through it,” Khan said.

In preparation for MIST, Salaam As Stuy spent weeks beforehand ensuring that all members were ready. “[We had] a Google Classroom just to help us out. We also just booked a lot of rooms the week before MIST, so people came in and practiced their interviews and presentations. We also had weekly Zooms just to get people hyped about MIST,” Khan said.

The competition had deep personal meanings for many participants, leaving a lasting impact even after MIST was over. In the 3D Art competition, Anwar incorporated her own experiences into her entry, making it a significant endeavor. “My idea was to portray me attempting to get closer to my religion, and I just showed these three dolls. They’re slowly becoming more and more modest. That wasn’t really to show me physically but to show me internally—changing my mindset and getting closer to who I want to be,” Anwar said.

Senior and MIST competitor Tajrian Jahan shared a similar view, stating that competing in the Spoken Word event pushed him out of his comfort zone and helped him overcome his fears. “Even on the day that I presented my spoken word piece, I still had butterflies in my stomach because I was, of course, nervous. The whole process of making the spoken word itself was also a challenge, because I wasn’t always that accustomed to giving formal speeches. Last time I gave one was back in middle school, so it was a little difficult for me, but I think I overcame it and I made a piece that I was really proud of,” Jahan said.

Jahan was also part of the group that won third place in the Quiz Bowl competition and reflected on how the team’s hard work was what ultimately led to their victory. “I was really glad that my team cooperated with me, and we were able to get a third place victory because we all did our due diligence and put everything into it. And, even when we felt like things were at a low point since we felt intimidated by other competitors, we prevailed; it’s almost 100 percent because of our hard work,” Jahan said.

The welcoming environment at MSA during MIST preparation allowed competitors to forge friendships and create fond memories, making it not just a competition but also a meaningful and personal experience for Stuyvesant students. “When I entered Stuy, I wasn’t very close to my religion at all, but when I entered MSA during the end of sophomore year, I was welcomed by this very big supportive community. I felt like they offered a nice place to call home,” Anwar said.

During the competition, MIST provided a safe space for students with shared experiences to connect. “Since a majority of everyone is Muslim, [they] understand you very well, right? They understand what you’re going through. Like being in a New York City public school—that feeling, especially in the atmosphere today with the rise in Islamophobia and anti-semitism. People understand you,” Khan said.

Although MIST is a competitive event, participants viewed the competition as an opportunity to connect with individuals from outside of Stuyvesant. “It was mainly just meeting new people that weren’t scary. Literally the only time I’ve ever meet people outside of Stuy is at competitions—specifically debate, and they’re all really [competitive]. But here, they were so chill, even if we were in the same bracket, or we were in the same competition, they would still lend you stuff if you needed,” sophomore and first-time competitor Ilmah Sattar said.

Outside of the competitions, MIST also continued on team traditions that contribute to its lively atmosphere. As part of a tradition called Chant Wars, Salaam As Stuy performed team chants throughout the competition to showcase the group’s spirit and energy. “‘S-T-T-U-Y, Stuy, what? Stuy, what?’ And then we have another one ‘Represent—Stuy gonna represent; Salaam As Stuy—we the very best,’” Sattar said. 

Another element that contributed to team spirit was their coordinated attire, which united the team through matching colors and outfits. “The first day, we did black dresses and gold hijabs; the second day was burgundy dresses and Blackie hijabs; and the third day was blue dresses and white hijabs,” Sattar said.

Achieving a three-peat victory was a noteworthy accomplishment for Salaam As Stuy, and it meant much more to the competitors than just the title—it reflected all of the hard work and collaboration the team had fostered throughout the competition. “I feel like winning is just, overall, having our team come together and actually fight for the same cause because that rarely ever happens nowadays, where you see people coming together to do the same thing. And I feel like that’s what’s very powerful about MIST in general,” Khan said.

As Salaam As Stuy prepares for MIST nationals this summer, competitors encourage others to also take part in the memorable experiences MIST provides. “Everybody who’s interested [in] MIST or MSA should certainly join. Everybody’s super supportive. No one’s gonna judge you… I have so many newbie questions that are kind of embarrassing to ask, but no one judges me. I feel like I’ve made some long lasting bonds in this place,” Anwar said.