Meet Your 2023-2024 ASB
May 22, 2023
As the school year winds down, let’s meet the 2023-2024 Associated Student Body (ASB). Whether it’s the festive Spirit Week or the vivid school dances, ASB is the organizer behind all of these wonderful events. Here are some fun facts about the upcoming board as well as their interests for next year.
The head of all student activity events at UHS is the ASB President. This position will be held by junior Varin Gupta. Despite his accomplishments in ASB this year, Gupta shared his hesitation in applying for the position and getting involved in ASB in the first place.
“To be honest, I didn’t really see myself in ASB when I first started high school,” Gupta said, “I didn’t make it my freshman and sophomore year, and I was starting to think maybe it wasn’t for me. I was really inspired to try again thanks to the encouragement of my peers, my friends, and my predecessors in ASB.”
Incoming ASB Vice President, junior Ryan Shrivastava explained his leadership style and his desire to prioritize being an active and hands-on leader who leads by example while putting his all into whatever needs the school has.
“I personally think my greatest strength as a leader is my activeness,” Shrivastava said. “I never want to be the type of leader who asks my peers to do something I wouldn’t do myself, and that’s really influenced the way I handle decision-making and division of labor when it comes to projects.”
Another position in ASB is the Clubs Commissioner, who is in charge of coordinating all club events at UHS and creating an inclusive community for club organizations to thrive. Sophomore Bruno Rodríguez Díaz will be serving as next year’s Clubs Commissioner. While many students know Rodriguez Diaz for his prowess in public speaking as a member of UHS MUN and Mock Trial, his interests extend beyond his involvement in the UHS community.
“I lived just across the southern border in Mexico during the pandemic and I brought my two cats to and from the US on the drive!” Rodriguez Diaz said. “In my spare time, I might be found playing with my two cats or grabbing an In-N-Out burger with friends. I also love hitting the gym, baking while listening to Christmas music (even in the summer), and forcing friends and family to play super complicated board games with me.”
Speaking of sports at UHS, you certainly can’t leave out the Sports Commissioners! Besides Boys’ Sports Commissioner junior Eithar Takesh’s love for sports, Takesh shares other fun facts about himself.
“A weird quirk about me is that I am left-handed,” Takesh said. “I lived in Syria for five years, England for six months and Pennsylvania for a year. I have to wear two different-sized shoes because of my foot injury. I also like cats more than dogs.”
Alongside Takesh, incoming Girls’ Sports Commissioner junior Riley Hertstein is excited to create a plan for next year’s athletic calendar. Hertstein emphasized how pushing herself to join ASB strongly impacted her high school experience.
“The things that you learn from leading is something so special,” Hertstein said. “I’ll always be grateful for my ASB family and the different bonds I have formed from these past 3 years on ASB, but if I never took a chance on myself I would not be able to say that.”
Takesh and Herstein will be working closely with next year’s Spirit and Rally Commissioner, junior Ayden Agahi. Whether it’s the unforgettable football game nights or the pep rallies, the Spirit and Rally Commissioner helps promote school spirit and craft amazing rallies.
“I like playing golf with my friends when I’m not playing for the school,” Agahi said. “I also like to just hang out and chill with my friends and do whatever comes to mind at the moment. A fun fact about me is that I can solve a Rubik’s cube in a minute.”
Often considered the counterpart to the Spirit and Rally Commissioner, the Student Activities Coordinator (SAC) works with all members of the student body to highlight events happening on campus and build excitement around various school opportunities. From coordinating lunchfests to working with Univision, the SAC coordinates many activities at UHS. The newly elected SAC, junior Alec Apelian, hopes to bring some unique talents to the position.
“Because I’m a car guy, a strange quirk that I have is that I can tell some cars apart just by the sound that they make,” Apelian said. “I am also a very good dunker in basketball.”
Incoming Senior Class President Mark Kim plans to make sure every student feels welcome and supported within their community. He stressed the importance of participation in the school community as it helps foster a sense of inclusiveness among students.
“Making sure every student feels welcome and supported within their community is very important,” Kim said. “Obviously we have social media and we are able to reach a large part of the student body that way, however not everyone has social media. I plan to work with the SAC and his morning announcements as a way to make everyone aware of what is going on.”
Next year’s Junior Class President Evan Zhong returns to ASB for his second year as the leader of the class of 2025. He hopes to support his fellow ASB members and get them directly involved in leading the incoming junior class to new heights.
“The junior council is responsible for planning Prom so I will be cooking up a whole operation and team to plan Prom and take it to the next level,” Zhong said. “Something even better than the Proms they get at private schools. Lots of innovations and renovations are in store for next year so get hyped!”
The ASB Elected Seven along with the upperclassmen council leadership for the 2023-2024 school year is a passionate and dedicated group of individuals ready to make a difference in the school community. With inclusivity and innovation at the forefront of their plans, they are gearing up to craft another memorable year for UHS students.
