Pasha Majdi's Cameron Crazy credentials are better than most. He's been a member of tent No. 1 and usually has a seat at center court for every game. Already a leader in the stands, he now hopes to become the next leader of Duke Student Government.
Although the Vienna, Va., native is an outsider to DSG, he currently serves as communications coordinator for Campus Council under President Anthony Vitarelli, his opponent for the DSG presidency. Majdi believes, however, that his understanding of the average student is a greater asset than a long student government resumé.
"I have a really good sense of what people care about," he said. "I talk to different people, I don't just hang out in one particular circle."
Majdi explained that he had two major reasons for running--improving student life in direct response to concerns voiced by students and increasing the presence of the DSG president on campus.
"There are some changes I need to make, which are simple and will affect students on a daily basis," Majdi said. Such changes, he added, include removing breakfasts from the freshman board plan, amending the current noise policy on Central Campus and allowing unaffiliated students to register and host parties.
Majdi said he wants to be a new kind of president, taking on a more active role than those in the position traditionally have.
"The DSG president's other role is to be the leader of the student body, being visible, accessible, friendly and going around talking to people," Majdi said. "That's something we haven't had while I've been at Duke--a visible leader that people can look to."
The reduced course load taken by DSG presidents, he believes, will provide him with the time he needs to make his goals a reality. By reaching out to his peers, Majdi said he aims to make DSG more responsive to students' needs and less influenced by administrators.
"I will prioritize by what students want the most," he said. "A DSG president shouldn't be worried as much about what Larry [Moneta] thinks as what students think."
Majdi, a public policy and philosophy double-major, is the former social chair of the selective living group Maxwell House. During his month-and-a-half tenure as social chair last semester, cut short by his commitments to Campus Council and other groups, President Tom Kuhn got a sense for the candidate's organizational style.
"I think working with Pasha is mostly an educational experience," he said. "He learns all the facts... and explains [them] very clearly."
If he is elected the next president of DSG, Majdi's said his attention to detail will help him address his other priorities, which include using DSG money to foster the on-campus social scene, improving race relations and fighting eating disorders. He claimed many undergraduates consider eating disorders to be one of the biggest campus problems but few know what to do about it. He plans to help work toward a solution by using the approach of getting out of the office and going door to door.
"Think how powerful it will be if the leader of the student body is going around talking to people for hours," Majdi said.
His plan reflects his enthusiasm, a quality many who collaborate with Majdi notice most.
"I think [Majdi] has incredible spirit and has demonstrated more affection for Duke than any 10 students put together," said Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs. "He would equally make a wonderful leader."
Junior Merrill Roller, who was captain of Majdi's tent last year, described him as the ideal student because of his love of basketball and student life.
"Pasha has the greatest enthusiasm of any kid at school," he said.
Enthusiasm, however, is not the only quality Majdi sees as contributing to his credentials as a presidential candidate.
"I'm passionate but also savvy," he said. "I won't be running into a board room screaming."
Majdi hopes his energy and poise will make him a leader in--and out of--the board room.
"Leadership is much more than what you can do in a meeting," he said.
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