FollowWe’ve all seen the pictures of ASUC candidates all over our Facebook feeds, pictures of candidates we don’t know very well, if at all. And who has time to go to each campaign launch in the midst of midterm season? Never fear, Caliber’s here to help you make the most informed decision you can in this year’s spring election.
On a breezy Friday afternoon, I sat down with one of our candidates to get to know him better.
He claims he can drink a full serving of boba in about 30 seconds. His favorite ice cream flavor is mango. To relax, he likes to show magic tricks, drink tea, and watch Netflix. He is currently watching The West Wing and House of Cards on Netflix. You can find him studying at the SLC or the East Asian Library. His name is Pavan Upadhyayula and he’s from the Student Action party.
Pavan has his whole career planned out. First, he will be a neurosurgeon for ten to fifteen years. From there, he would like to go into a public policy role, some advisory position for healthcare and government. Lastly, in his old age, he would like to teach as a professor, drink tea, and read books. Possibly at Berkeley, we asked? He loves the campus, the atmosphere, and the environment. “It’s like a mixture of urban sprawl with city with the university. It’s nothing I would’ve dreamed of, coming to college, but everything I wanted,” Pavan said.
Where are you from? Any siblings, pets?
San Jose, California. Older brother, no pets.
What’s your major?
Molecular Cell Biology, pre-med, applying to medical school this June. The goal is to finish elections, then jump into med school applications.
Who is your idol? Who do you look up to?
I take a lot of things from a lot of different people. Everyone has their weaknesses and their strengths. There’s one of my friends, who’s two years older than me, Robert Chen. He went to my same high school and went to Berkley as well. I really idolize the way he approaches life, the way he’s able to stand up for himself, and be a very nice, welcoming individual. He taught me card magic, and a lot of things about people and social skills. I also idolize my dad. As I grow older, I realize more and more the kind of hardship that my parents faced and how little what I do compares to some of the things they have done. You learn to respect them a lot more, your parents.
So, is card magic your hidden talent?
I don’t think it’s so hidden anymore, I try to publicize it as much as possible. I kind of put everything on display now. I definitely love doing magic. One of my goals is to travel the world working off doing magic and see how far I get. I think if med school doesn’t work out it would be my back-up plan.
What student organizations are you a part of on campus?
I’m a part of Lambda Phi Epsilon Fraternity, an Asian Interest Fraternity. I joined the fall of my freshman year and it was perhaps one of my greatest decisions. I also joined Phi Chi, a co-ed, Pre-Med Fraternity on campus. I also do research in a lab in Stanley Hall. We’re currently wrapping up a project working with muscle stem cells. It’s a lot of fun and I learned a lot through that lab. I am also a co-founder of the Magic Club and the DeCal, which I teach as well as being a part of the ASUC since my freshman year.
What made you join the ASUC?
I have been very involved in government since high school. In eighth grade, I was trying to run for social chair and one of my teachers was like, “You should run for president” and I was like “Okay!” and I did. Then on the day of the speech I decided to have people carry me in to Darth Vader music and I managed to win that. Ever since then, I’ve had a fun time doing student government. I was sophomore class vice president for my high school, as well as junior and senior class president, and that was amazing. Coming to Berkeley, I wanted to see a shift in the capability of student government. I mean, I like to say that Berkeley student government is not a student government; it’s a government of students. It’s much more real. The issues it addresses actually impact individuals but then the key demographic is the students on this campus. I wanted to see how much more invested people were and what impact I could make. I just wanted to join from the moment that I came.
Being so involved in student government, would you consider an actual government position in the future?
That’s something only the future can hold. I wouldn’t rule it out. It is a very interesting and appealing position because you get to serve so many people and make an impact for so many lives, but at the same time medicine is my true calling. But one of the reasons I’m so glad I came to Berkley is because it gives me this opportunity to see how government operates, whereby I can still focus on medicine and ultimately become a doctor. But I do want to get involved in politics later on and have it more tailored to what my interest and skill set would be, which would be focusing around health care, public policy, and medicine.
What do you consider to be the number one issue affecting our community here on campus?
I’m going to go with two key issues, but by no means are these the only issues. They are just two that have stuck out to me. The first is safety on this campus and this rears its head in many ways. This year sexual assault has become an increasingly important issue, and rightfully so. I think the level of the university addressing this issue is far underachieving and we need to do more to make sure Berkeley is not just up to par with federal law but is actually a benchmark institution that other campuses and universities can look to and be like this is the model of how to not only provide resources for survivors, but actually make sure that perpetrators of sexual assault have no place on this campus. But there are also a lot of other elements to safety, whether it is violent crime on campus, which has risen by over 50% in the last year alone, or just creating a safer environment for students to study, engage in social activities, and be able to be around at night and not be afraid for their own safety. The second big issue comes from the culture of competition at Berkeley. It is a very large, public institution and it is easy for students to get lost. Even when students are able to find their own homes within student groups, it’s often difficult to branch out and have a sense of a greater Cal community. I think this rears its head in academic and social avenues, and there are ways that the ASUC can address that. Another key issue to touch on is mental health. This comes from the culture Berkeley has, where it is hyper-competitive and difficult to feel comfortable. That really does start with a culture change, and changing the way students view some of these issues.
If elected, what are your goals? What do you hope to achieve? What steps will you take to ensure you meet these goals?
My goal is to be able to change this culture proactively while addressing some of the issues that come on the latter half. There are two ways. One, we can address these issues proactively and provide resources for individuals. For safety, I want to work with the resident halls to help increase resources for incoming students so that all students on this campus understand what safe behaviors are, so that they are not going to be easy targets. I also want to publicize a mobile application that shows where crime is happening all across campus so that student know where high risk areas are. The second aspect of this would be creating a student safety task force that has a direct line of communication with the chancellor. I think safety is a multifaceted issue; it doesn’t boil down to a single avenue that affects all students. So I want to bring together students who represent different issues of safety and create policy proposals that can then be given to the chancellor so that we can change UC Berkeley-wide policy and create a safer environment for students. One of the key areas I would like to focus on, and I will focus on, is sexual assault. I would like to continue some of the work that has been done by the office of the president as well as the 31 survivors who filed another federal complaint against Berkley’s policies this year, and make sure they are continually capable of being empowered by the ASUC as well as their actions and I would like to commend their work. There are also a lot of other issues that could dive into safety, whether they be alcohol issues, violent crimes, creating safer environments for students to study, etc. The last aspect that I want to do is create late-night study spaces on campus, so that students are able to fulfill their academic responsibility without the fear of having to walk 30-40 minutes across campus. In terms of the idea of the Cal community and rejuvenating the spirit we have here, I really want to work to change the culture of Berkeley. In the academic realm, I want to make sure that students are able to use each other as resources. I want to do this two ways – by opening up online advising resources in all departments, and by having study halls open for large classes before midterms and finals, where students can help each other and learn about each other and in that way diffuse the tension that arises.
How do you plan to get students on board?
My third platform is related to transparency at all levels of government, from the ASUC, the Berkeley administration, as well as UC Board of Regents in the state of California. Specifically for the ASUC, it often happens that after elections it fades away. To change that and make sure we have student involvement throughout, I want to create an online platform by which students can check up on the progress of ASUC elected officials’ projects, as well as submit projects of their own. My goal is to make students feel more invested and also see, tangibly, what the ASUC is doing throughout the year. I want there to be an easy way to check up on what the ASUC is doing, not only to hold them accountable but also to see if there are things they would like to push for. From day one, I will be increasing outreach efforts, trying to reach new communities who often aren’t represented in the ASUC, trying to help people to see how the ASUC is able to impact their individual groups, as well as make sure that students who want to pursue projects of their own have that capability. I don’t want to just push my own agenda, but rather the agenda of students who voice their concerns to me. From after the elections, to after we find out results, to before summer, I’m going to spend a concerted effort to try to reach out to as many student groups on campus, hear their issues, and put them as part of my advocacy agenda for the next year.
Ultimately, why are you running for ASUC president?
This is going to sound so corny, but it’s actually the truth. There’s the quote “Be the change you want to see” by Mahatma Gandhi. That’s exactly why I’m running. I think it’s the best way for me to serve the campus community, and that I’m uniquely suited to not only fulfill the job, but help serve the students in every possible way. It’s like a lock and a key – when you see that you fit, you might as well go for the role. I’m honored. I feel so privileged to have this capability and it’s not something that you can lightly turn down. There’s so much potential.
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