My name is Diva Datwani and I’m a junior in Columbia College. Though I’m Club Zamana’s Columbia Vice President, I have spent this past semester studying abroad in London. This has given me the opportunity to take a step back from CU, and reflect on the things that have made my college experience count. Being part of Zamana has been a highlight of my time at Columbia, and I can’t imagine my senior year without it. I’m running for President because I’ve seen our club go from strength to strength since freshman year and I want to build on this track record for success. I have a wealth of experience under my belt, a solid understanding of the club’s functions, and a lot of ideas for making next year our best yet. All that aside, if I could give you one reason to vote for me, it would be because I have maaaad Z love!
"YES Z CAN." Hey guys! I'm Abhi Nagaraj, CC 10, and I'm running for President of Club Zamana.
Check out my platform web site!: http://abhiforzpres.blogspot.com
Here's what I've done over three years:
-Served as a dedicated member of Club Zamana for two and half years
-Steered Z as a treasurer to a rock solid financial foundation despite a massive recession
-Created some of Z's most successful ideas, like Tamasha Inc and "South Asian Stimulus"
-Understand the South Asian Intergroup through my experiences on Taal and Awaaz
And next year I will strive to:
-Coordinate our South Asian film series in Roone cinema (with spicy snacks)
-Add value to parties by bringing better music and DJs
-Slash prices on semiformals by reworking revenue models
-Allocate cosponsorships to groups doing South Asian events
-Expand our service event with HSO
-Build our speaker series with engaging personalities.
Again please check out my platform!
Hi, my name is Naina Sharma and I am running for Club Zamana Barnard Vice President. As the Club Zamana Intergroup chair this year, I was involved in pre-calendaring, both for Zamana and in collaboration with the other South Asian organizations. Because of this, I have managed space reservations and requests and am familiar with the process, and have also interacted with Columbia administration. I have also headed events, such as a panel and tour with high school children from SAYA. Having been on the board for 2 years, I have also helped to run Tamasha for two years. I am therefore definitely familiar with the planning of Zamana’s large scale events. One of my main goals as VP next year would be to provide more venues for general body involvement. Specifically, I am interested in setting up a mentoring program with high school students in Queens.
Having been an OCM for two semesters and Public Relations Chair this past year, I have the fundamental experience to take on the role and fulfill the responsibilities of Vice President. This year, after heading the communications and guest acts committees, I further realize that it is Zamana’s team efforts that truly make Tamasha happen. I have always been passionate about the goals of Zamana and I have many ideas for expanding our focus to include more community service events and extensive outreach to the South Asian community. In my past two years on the Zamana board, I have learned how to organize and coordinate events, find and book guest acts for Tamasha (e.g., Dan Nainan and Bollywood children’s group), work with administration, and communicate with the South Asian community. I truly hope I can bring my invaluable experience, commitment, and leadership to Zamana for a third year.
Hi, my name is Kavita Vemishetti and I'm a sophomore in SEAS running for Zamana Columbia Vice President. This year I was the Secretary for Zamana and took a very active role on the board. I was in charge of events such as Rangeela—youth oriented service event, General Body meetings, the Valentine’s day Study Break and more. Additionally, I was in charge of the Communications committee for Tamasha, which promoted Tamasha throughout the tri-state and helped achieve a full house. I also pre-calendared this past semester and for all Zamana events next semester. I have interacted with the Columbia administration, which will allow me to enhance the events and ideas of Zamana next year. Therefore, I have managed a large majority of the space reservations this year and helped execute many events, key functions of VP. My main hope for next year is to expand Zamana events to include the general body more.
My name is Anuj Jhunjhunwala and I have been on the Club Zamana board for the last two years, having first served as an OCM my freshman year and as Sponsorship Chair my sophomore year. This year, I was able to secure Children’s Hope India (CHI) as a major sponsor for Tamasha, and I was instrumental in ensuring that we had a reliable stream of sponsorship funding to pay for the show – no small feat during the current recession. One of my major goals as VP is to enhance Club Zamana’s social activist role by starting Columbia’s first student-run microfinance initiative with the help of CHI. In addition, I plan to work closely with the various South Asian cultural groups on campus in order to effectively incorporate varying viewpoints in our cultural and political events. My experience on Zamana has made me very excited about the prospect of serving as VP for the 2009-2010 school year. Thank you for your support.
Having been an OCM for two years on the Zamana Board, I have had a vast amount of experience with event planning, sponsorship, and finance. Just this year, I served on both the sponsorship and finance committees. In doing so, I worked closely with the Treasurer in formulating our budget, filling out co-sponsorship applications and appeals, and becoming acquainted with the world of Event Approval Forms and E-forms. Additionally, I was extremely involved with the funding for food and publicity for Tamasha. This is just a small scope of the amount of experience I have had on Zamana and I hope to further that experience by serving as your Treasurer next year. I’m ready to face any challenges that come along with this role and I hope you will give me that opportunity by giving me your vote! Thank you :)
My name is Shilpa Lokareddy. I am a Math and Economics major. During my time here, I have been involved with various organizations like Awaaz, McAc Multicultural, Emerging Leader’s Program. As a member of these organizations, I have learnt how to effectively hone my leadership skills and be responsible. McAc tries to “enhance the sense of community” and I believe that my experience with McAc has provided me with a new perspective on allocating money to help bring together the South Asian community on campus.
Being a part of the Finance Committee for Tamasha has helped me acquire the key skills in order to be an effective treasurer – efficiently allocating money and keeping track of expenditure and funding. As an OCM on Zamana, I have been a dedicated member of the organization. As treasurer, I promise the same dedication and reliability.
Vote for Shilpa… she has dollars and sense!! :)
My name is Nikita Manilal and I am a CC '12 student from New York running for Secretary on the Club Zamana 2009-2010 Executive Board. As a current member of the board, I have been actively learning about several administrative tasks as a way of becoming familiarized with the secretary's responsibilities, and am hoping to better integrate the South Asian graduate organization by advertising their events on both our campus and our website. From creating flyers and videos for Tamasha under the media committee to organizing the SAYA event with the Intergroup chair and Rangeela with the board, I have become an avid communicator and have developed organization skills that are necessary for the Secretary position. Having worked as an OCM under the Social and Intergroup Chairs, I believe that I am suited for this position because of my organizational skills and my keen sense of judgment that allow me to interact with a diverse body of Columbia students through emails, telephone calls, and in person.
I'd like to be social chair because I believe that this is one of the most integral positions in terms of promoting our club and allowing us to relate to our general body. I feel that this position demands combining the ability to talk with organizational skills, and that is exactly what I'm good at. The parties we plan and the places we plan them at represent Zamana, and allow us to truly bring the South Asian community together, and I would strive to make these much anticipated parties better. Whilst planning parties is the primary role of social chair, I believe there is so much potential for the position, and my goal is to transform it to more than just a party-planner. My gregarious character serves as an example of the types of events I'd plan, and I hope that you vote for me as Club Zamana's next social chair.
My name is Nikhita Mahtani, and I’m running for social chair for Club Zamana. I feel Zamana’s involvement on campus has grown over the past few years, and I think that a club this big should have more events to cater to the population. All members cannot get into several parties and I’d therefore like to find more places near campus to throw said parties. I also feel there are other events that Zamana can organize which might fall under the social chair’s discretion. I’d like to come up with other ways besides study breaks to promote our largest events. I was an OCM for Zamana the spring of my freshman year, and I believe that gives me experience to fulfill my goals. I also feel being a general body member this year has made me experience things from the other side enough to improve on what you, the general body, would like to see on Zamana next year.
My name is Rishi Kodali, and I am a CC’12 student from Houston, TX running for Political Chair of Club Zamana. Serving as an Organizational Committee Member over the past year, I have taken an active role in a variety of events including this year’s Alternative Career Panel. As a member of Zamana’s Political Committee, I have worked directly under the current Political Chair, grasping the full spectrum of the role’s responsibility. As your Political Chair for 2009-2010, I will strive to provide you with a host of speakers spanning a variety of South Asian interests including political activists, authors, actors, and musicians. Moreover, I will help to facilitate the best means for you to give back to the community through Gandhi Day and Rangeela. Working alongside Club Zamana has been one of my most fulfilling opportunities here at Columbia. With your help, I can ensure that Club Zamana will do its part to bring you your best year yet at Columbia.
My name is Saahil Patel, and I am a member of the Columbia College Class of 2012 from Miami, Florida running for PR/Intergroup Chair of Club Zamana. As a Spring OCM on Zamana this semester, I have learned and experienced so much about what it takes for a large organization on campus to properly operate and efficiently proliferate, and I strive to bring about an environment in which relations between various groups on campus can be facilitated such that effective communication occur seamlessly to achieve goals resulting in the advancement of everyone involved. Being PR/Intergroup Chair requires integrating deeply into the Columbia community, understanding the issues of every group affiliated with Club Zamana, and finding innovative solutions to these clubs’ concerns productively, and as PR/Intergroup Chair, I would use my already strong involvement in Columbia’s South Asian community to complete these tasks to perfection and help make the academic year to come Zamana’s best year to date.