This week’s campus celebrity is Manna Sidhu. Her outstanding leadership skills have led her to hold many leadership positions on campus. This year, she is the president of UBC’s Bhangra Club, treasurer for the Sikh Students’ Association, and a Squad Leader with UBC Orientations. Keep reading to find out more about Manna and what makes her an excellent leader on campus!
You have a number of leadership positions on campus this year. How do you juggle your many leadership positions on campus and your responsibilities as a student?
Some weeks they’re definitely easier to juggle than others, especially since I’m currently volunteering off campus as well! Luckily, as this is my last year of undergrad, and I knew ahead of time I would have more demanding roles, I was able to take on a lighter course load than usual. This helped ensure I wasn’t spreading myself out too thin, and that the organizations I’m a part of weren’t suffering from my lack of commitment.
Moreover, I’m a huge proponent of agendas and whiteboards. I like to schedule out my commitments to both my positions and my course work for the whole week, and mark them off as I complete them. It helps me stay focused on what needs to be done, and makes me feel less overwhelmed to see all my tasks laid out in front of me. Seeing everything marked off on Saturday is probably one of the greatest feelings in the world (so cheesy, I know).
It also helps that I work with amazing teams in each of my roles! Feeling supported in positions like these is vital; it keeps you motivated, and you know you have someone to turn to if you’re struggling at any point. As clichéd as it sounds, when you surround yourself with positive, like-minded individuals, you have more fun with your tasks, and it stops feeling like work.
What is your best memory of being involved on campus?This is really difficult to answer, they’re all great memories (I’m a very cheesy person)! One that really stands out is attending the Imagine Day 2013 Pep Rally. It was my first year as a Science Squad Leader and the last event of the day, so it was really gratifying to see all of my MUG Leaders (now known as Orientation Leaders) cheering with their groups. It made me feel like all the time spent training and building a community within my group paid off because now, they were starting to build communities with their own groups! It also felt amazing connecting with all the other student leaders at Orientations as we did our faculty cheers and waved our towels around; the energy and school pride was indescribable, and it’s part of the reason why I applied to the position again.
Tell us about the Bhangra Club. What events have you planned so far?The UBC Bhangra Club is a nonprofit social and charitable club that aims to connect the UBC community to South Asian culture. We put on three major events annually to do so: Fusion at the Pit, a formal dinner and dance event, and a culture show called Exhibition India, which features four of our dance teams, a skit, fashion show, and door prizes. We also host smaller events such as Bhabi Night (a card tournament), as well as offer volunteer opportunities for our members. In fact, we are planning on collaborating with another UBC club in Term 2 to distribute food and clothing to residents in the downtown eastside, and will be opening this up for members to volunteer. Like I mentioned earlier, we also have four dance teams that hold try outs in September; these include the Co-ed and Ladies Bhangra Team, the Giddah Team, and the Hindi Dance Team. For those interested in learning how to dance, we also hold weekly bhangra lessons in the SUB! The funds raised this year will go to a great charity called the Acumen Fund. Anyone is welcome to come to our events, and we are happy to accept new members!
What is it like managing such a large team of volunteers? How do you inspire people?Like I mentioned earlier, I have the privilege of working with amazing teams, and our Bhangra Club executive team is no exception. Although handling such a large group seemed daunting at first, I’ve found that the passion we all share for the club unites us and allows us to work together seamlessly. We shared what our expectations are of each other at the start of the year; that accountability made it easier to ensure everyone stays on task. I also understand that this is a volunteer position and an opportunity to have fun and make long-lasting connections, so I do my best alongside my presidential team to get to know each of the volunteers one-on-one. Having put on a few events together, attending some, and getting pictures done with Santa as a team, I’d say we’re getting along pretty darn well.
As for how I inspire people, I’m not entirely sure. My leadership style is to lead by example: I try to exemplify the behavior I’d like to see in my team. Of course I make lots of mistakes along the way, but a huge part of leading is being adaptable as well, and I think over the past five years I’ve developed that skill a fair bit.
What advice do you have for someone who wants a leadership position on campus?
1. Step out of your comfort zone! That’s basically my motto (*Drake hand*). Trying out things you wouldn’t normally do is how you learn more about your capabilities, and as a leader, you’ll be doing that quite a bit.
2. Don’t be afraid to apply to various leadership positions. You may think you don’t fit all the requirements, but chances are you bring something unique to the role that could actually complement that program or club as a whole!
3. Be passionate about your role! It’s hard to be a leader when you don’t actually believe in the cause. Luckily at UBC, there are a tone of ways to get involved: Orientations, Residence Life, the AMS, the list goes on. Find what really speaks to you and apply for a leadership role!