Chief of Staff Prabhdeep Kehal

Shahryar Abbasi

Hometown: Tustin, CA
Email: eavp@asuc.org
Blog: shahryarabbasi.wordpress.com

Whadup Cal Bears! My name is Shahryar Abbasi, and I am extremely humbled to serve you as the ASUC External Affairs Vice President for the next year. Berkeley’s various groups, activities and communities at Cal have impassioned me to serve our school.

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I am a proud Muslim, and member of the Cal Muslim Student Association. I was fortunate enough to be VP of Philanthropy and Scholarship for Delta Upsilon Fraternity, a board member of Common Cause, and part of many other great groups on campus. I love Berkeley because everyday, I am privileged enough to learn something new. The best part is that you are able to learn so much from outside the classroom because Cal has such a vibrant community and is part of the dynamic city of Berkeley. All of these facets contribute to the Public nature of our University; truly one of the best institutions of higher learning in the world.

Prabhdeep Kehal

Hometown: Stevenson Ranch, CA
Email: eavpchief@asuc.org

Hey Cal! I am a fourth year Applied Mathematics and Rhetoric double major pursuing a minor in Public Policy. I have been involved in the ASUC since my freshmen year and have worked on various projects with all the Executive Offices and Senate, most recently through my appointment as the ASUC Webmaster. I have also worked as a Legislative Intern for the Berkeley Mayor’s Office and am involved on campus as a Board Member of Caliber Magazine, a student-created and student-led magazine, as Blog Editor and as a Student Affairs Liaison for the Dean of Students.

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My interests are in Higher Education Policy and I plan to pursue a graduate degree (hopefully!) in Education, focused on outreach, retention and student life policy on campuses. If you have any questions or have interest in joining the EAVP office, please don’t hesitate to send me an email!

1) FIGHTING FOR YOUR EDUCATION AT THE CAPITOL
Over the last decade, drastic budget cuts have devastated our education and jeopardized our futures. As your EAVP, I will develop a student Political Action Committee to reassert the voice of over 200,000 UC students throughout California. I will register thousands to vote, work with UCSA to fight for ballot initiatives that invest in higher education, and formalize a campus lobby corps to keep the pressure on our legislators. As your EAVP, I will fight to make sure your voice is heard in Sacramento—so that together, we can put Berkeley back on top.​



2) OUR CITY, OUR VOICE: CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATION
One in four people in Berkeley are students, but zero out of 9 city council members are.   The city’s archaic rules prevent students from getting elected to the city council. As a Senator, I have fought to create a supermajority student district. I will fight to change the rules and get a student elected to the city council by 2013. This will guarantee students the improvements in Berkeley that they deserve. We need a seat at the table. Join me to work for charter reform. Join me to fight for a day where we can honestly say, our city, our voice.​



3) TELEGRAPH AVENUE: OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Telegraph Avenue was once our college’s cultural center. Unfortunately, vacant lots and failed businesses have left it suffocating. Together, we can develop a business incubator on campus to reverse the decline via student innovation. Through hands-on business training, we can improve both our community’s future and yours. I will fight for student input in the business improvement district, city economic commissions, and neighborhood associations, while working with UCPD and dorms to improve safety. Join me so that once again, Telegraph can be open for business.​

This is a pivotal moment for California, and for UC Berkeley. As your External Affairs Vice President, I want to serve students by collaborating with various stakeholders to lobby and showcase the importance of higher ed in Sacramento, then organize thousands of students to vote, and begin to raise awareness of ways to materialize more revenues for our State. It is just as important to educate folks about why education is an investment, as it is to lobby and relay our concerns to legislators. I want to collaborate with our student regent and the board of regents to help identify ways in which we can maintain the quality, accessibility and affordability of the UC without continuing to place more of a burden on students and families. I want to make Berkeley a larger part of the national conversation, and get involved with campuses from all over the United States in the fight for higher education. Locally, I want to continue our fight to increase representation on the local level, and try and make Berkeley a safer, and more comfortable city for us all.

I am so honored to have this chance. This year has the potential to be revolutionary, and I want to work with anyone who is interested to make a difference.  Let’s work together to change our UC, let’s work together to change our state, and let’s work together to make a better Berkeley.