Lodaya shifts focus to campaign

When the student group Nourish UNC was promoting a project in the Pit, Hetali Lodaya joined the effort — in a cow suit.

When Lodaya, who is running for student body president, feels passionately about a cause, there are no limits to what she will do to help it grow, said her friends.

“She puts herself out there,” said senior Colleen Daly, chairwoman of marketing for Nourish UNC.

“She’s not afraid to put herself in a potentially awkward situation for the things she loves.”

In addition to working with and becoming co-chairwoman of Nourish UNC, Lodaya has also been involved in student government and Bhangra Elite, a competitive dance team, for three years.

Lodaya said she hasn’t had trouble balancing her schedule.

“It’s not hard when you’re doing things you love,” she said.

She said she has always considered running for student body president and has asked herself, “Could you bring something that student government needs?”

This year, she said, the answer to that question is yes.

In order to have time to create a campaign, Lodaya was forced to stop dancing with Bhangra Elite.

“I think I’ve always been very bad at giving things up because I feel that everything I do is a different part of my personality,” she said.

“What else am I in college for if not to grow all of those parts at once?”

Sagar Shukla, one of Lodaya’s campaign managers, said although she is very busy, Lodaya does well by shifting all of her attention to the task at hand.

“Because she’s taking a huge commitment by campaigning, she has dropped other commitments that may impede her success,” Shukla said.

Lodaya said a unique aspect of her platform is the philosophy behind it.

She said it is easy for student government to create programs and then push those programs on the students. Her philosophy is also centralized around students — but not in the same way, she said.

“We want to help you do what you’re already doing and do it better,” she said.

Daly said Lodaya is very vision-oriented but remains pragmatic.

“She’s an ideal leader ­— she doesn’t do everything herself, but she invites people to participate by doing what they do best and doing what they enjoy,” she said.

Daly said there is nobody she trusts more to lead the University than Lodaya.

“It’s her ability to empower others in such a way that she enables people to pursue a common goal by both inspiring them and providing them with the resources they need to really make a difference,” Daly said.

“She has, and embodies, all of the qualities that this University needs.”

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.