Published 10/23/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
When Shivani V. Menon, my freshman year roommate and close friend, expressed interest in being interviewed as a part of the “We Are Cal” project, I remember being gripped by an icy palm of literary terror. I knew Shivani so well, and as international students from India, we had befriended each other even before our time at UC Berkeley began. This is why I wasn’t sure if I would be able to bring something new to the table or portray Shivani’s story with the freshness that it deserved. However, being a writer has, for the lack of a better word, filled me with unpredictable surges of confidence. Thus, holding onto one such dose of self-belief, I invited Shivani to my on-campus residence, eager to tell the tale of someone I’ve known and loved for over two and a half years.
After our usual catch-up session, Shivani almost automatically begins talking about her favorite place at UC Berkeley. “I love the glade so much,” she begins, her eyes misting over with joy. “Last semester, it was springtime, and when I was sitting with my friends on the glade, I realized that campus is actually so beautiful. This moment of inspiring realization brought me back to people-watching, an exercise that I would enthusiastically pursue when I used to do Creative Writing. Coming back to the glade helped me regain that feeling, and also helped me realize how much I had missed it,” she adds.
“But you’re doing Economics now. How do you make time to pursue your creative interests?” I respond, as Shivani nods in affirmation. “Berkeley has something for everyone, and I think that I realize this through my recent experiences with public policy. This semester, I’m a part of the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP) which is all about policy. Emphasizing California’s Climate Justice Policy, this project also helps me gain experience in Public Health, a field that I recently started exploring. I also love how most of the assignments for my URAP project involve research and writing, and I think I will eventually get to the point of writing about policy,” she explains.
In addition to fueling her passion for her academic pursuits, Shivani describes how her combined background in Creative Writing and Economics has helped her develop important skills in solution analysis, something that is bound to stay with her for the rest of her career.
“It’s very interesting to see how, so many times, the solutions to problems affecting us today are so much deeper than they seem to be. For example, I’ve been reading a lot about carbon sequestration, a technique proposed by private sectors that is ideally supposed to benefit the environment. But, when I analyzed this from a policy point of view, I realized that this is actually something that would benefit solely the private sectors… because it does not get rid of the core cause of environmental concern at all,” she says.
Settling into the almost see-saw-like balance that Berkeley offers between STEM and Humanities, Shivani says that her recent research in policy isn’t the only way through which she is able to keep her passion for the Creative Arts alive and thriving.
“A few semesters ago, I was a part of Berkeley Connect organized by the English Department at Cal. This was undoubtedly one of my best experiences at Cal… as we were just a group of people with similar interests, talking about literature in a comparatively casual setting away from the pressure of regular classes,” she says. “Also, I think my passion for Creative Arts has now transcended into something that I do to rejuvenate when I’m stressed. For instance, whenever I have the apartment to myself, I find myself sketching, singing and even cooking. I think, as constantly busy Berkeley students, we all need that outlet,” she laughs.