Q & A: Class of 2023: Shalini Mehra
CAROLINE ROBBINS | SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 | NEWS
Devil’s Advocate: How do you plan to increase class spirit?
Shalini Mehra: I think through the class hangouts I am proposing people can get close together and hang out casually on weekends without the stress from school. This will increase the spirit because it would be easier to make friends and it will make the class seem more like a community rather than people you just see at school every day.
D.A.: Who do you personally look up to as a leader and why?
S.M.: I look up to my brother. He helped me throughout school, and he’s actually a junior here at Stanton. On the first day of school, he told me different tips for what books to bring and where to go. He is also really easy to talk to and he’s been there for me, so I look up to him.
D.A.: How do you plan to handle any conflicts among the freshman class?
S.M.: I know that conflicts can always arise because there are so many people and they all believe different things. I believe since the president represents what the people want and what the class wants, that I’ll go to whatever side of the conflict has the most people supporting it. That’s the side I would take because it’s not about me, it’s what the class wants.
D.A.: How do you plan to work with the other officers?
S.M.: I believe that I’m really easy to talk to, make friends with, and a good leader, but it won’t be just about me; it will also be about them. I know with the vice-president, I am personally supporting Tatum. I think she has some really good ideas and works well with others. Meeting with the other officers and working together is how we will achieve the most.
D.A.: What do you admire about the other candidates?
S.M.: I love how Hazel emphasizes that she’s a good leader because I believe she is, and she seems very confident in the way she speaks. Jillian has some really good ideas that I admire. Ryan really knows what he’s doing and seems very confident.
D.A.: Should you lose the election, what are your next steps?
S.M.: I would work with the pep rally committee- I know that’s a big part of designing the pep rallies and the posters. I think that’s a way I can help and volunteer for the class without actually having a leadership position.
D.A.: How do you plan to improve the quality of the Stanton experience for the freshman class?
S.M.: I think as a freshman- especially because it’s new to us- whatever happens to you has a huge impact on the rest of your years here. I want to make sure everyone has the best experience, through the class hangouts and pep rallies and doing everything I can to enrich everyone’s experience.
D.A.: What legacy do you hope to leave?
S.M.: I hope to show that just because you’re a freshman doesn’t mean you can’t do anything. And I know it’s hard for a lot of people because there are a lot of shifts like in the workload and I know we don’t usually win the pep rallies. But I want to show that you can still do these things and be a freshman.
D.A.: How do you plan to work with the class sponsors and administration to implement your ideas?
S.M.: I think I can easily make a good relationship with the administration and class sponsors. We can work with them with budget and finance, which we often cannot handle ourselves, so we can work with them to better manage that.
D.A.: Define leadership and how you believe you embody it.
S.M.: I believe being a leader means someone who doesn’t care about points or winning or ego, but they want to help everybody and do things for the better of others and not for them. I feel I can show people what that is, and that it is Class of 2023 is why I am doing this.
