For ‘Realistic’ Change

When Undergraduate Council presidential candidate Daniel P. Bicknell ’13 stands next to his vice-presidential running mate Pratyusha Yalamanchi ’13, the first thing that comes to mind is their vast height difference.

Behind their campaign banner, 6-foot-3-inch Bicknell holds one end of the sign at arm’s length while 5-foot-1-inch Yalamanchi peers over the sign at the other end.

But with ten semesters of combined UC experience, established connections with administrators across campus, and a vision to build communities at Harvard, this unlikely pair compensates for their height gap by seeing eye-to-eye when it comes to improving student life.

Bicknell and Yalamanchi say they have a “realistic” platform, pushing for extended use of current social spaces and funding for student-initiated activities.

Their friends say that “D and P” are more than just good leaders—they genuinely care about their classmates and aspire to bring change that is attainable in the next year.

‘DP for UC’

In front of the Science Center, Bicknell and Yalamanchi have only seven minutes at the top of each hour to make their ticket known to passersby.

Bicknell shouts “Vote DP for UC” in his booming voice as Yalamanchi approaches students with a huge smile to hand out flyers.

Their slogan, “Proven leaders delivering results,” refers to the candidates’ work on UC committees since they were freshmen.

Back then, their promises were merely youthful ventures, such as bringing hand sanitizing stations to dorms during the swine flu peak and extending brain break hours.

Now, with those accomplishments in hand, the two seek to effect change on a larger but still reasonable scale.

The ticket’s mission to build communities at Harvard is bolstered by a focus on continuing the Forum for Change initiated by the outgoing president and vice-president Senan Ebrahim ’12 and Bonnie Cao ’12. Bicknell and Yalamanchi also push for improving the social experience for freshmen by finding ways to improve their access to current social spaces.

“We know that a campus center and open student-administration exchanges are goals to work towards, [but] not things we can promise,” says Yalamanchi, emphasizing their practical platform. “While we’re definitely striving towards those greater goals, we’re first picking at the low-hanging fruit.”

‘BICDREAMY’

Originally from Boca Raton, Fla., Bicknell is the eldest of three and has always been passionate about sustainable initiatives and educating people about the environment. Friends say that his dedication to the UC extends to attending UC-sponsored hockey games on Friday nights and choosing impromptu UC meetings over pre-planned dinner dates.

“Whenever I walk somewhere with Danny, it takes twice as long as it normally would because of how many friends he runs into,” says Hannah M. Cardiel ’13, who works with Bicknell on Mather’s House Committee board and EnviroEd, a volunteer organization that teaches public school students about environmental issues. “You can’t know Danny and not be friends with him.”

Bicknell’s “baby,” as Yalamanchi calls it, is the Student Initiatives Program, which funds mid- to large-sized social events spearheaded by students and held in common spaces.

Students who participated in the first SIP event at Mather last spring say that the program affirmed Bicknell’s ability to carry out his agenda to improve access to student funding and build community.

“He’s always willing to listen and gets excited about great ideas from the people he’s working with,” says Cardiel. “He makes everyone on the team feel valued.”

“Girls call him ‘BicDreamy,’” says Bicknell’s roommate Kartikeya Mital ’13. “I think that sums it up.”

‘BIG P’

Yalamanchi is known to her blockmates as “Big P” for her ability to juggle multiple projects at the same time. A Detroit native, Yalamanchi is often seen wearing a big smile and can bench more than half her body weight.

“P might only be 5-foot-1, but when she speaks about student issues, she has a commanding presence that elicits respect,” says her close friend Alana Pradhan ’13, who also created the campaign website.

Yalamanchi, who is on her fifth semester with UC’s Finance Committee, climbed the ranks from her position as Crimson Yard representative freshman year. She is currently in her second semester as the organization’s treasurer and controls a budget of over half a million dollars.

“I’m someone who finds the mere mention of money boring,” writes Andrew Berry, lecturer on Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Yalamanchi’s freshman advisor, in an email. “But I was impressed by Pratyusha’s ability to peer through the fiscal thickets to see the underlying issues.”

Outside of the UC, Yalamanchi is also a pre-med student, an editor for the Harvard Global Health Review, a researcher in a cardiology lab, and a member of a Harvard Alumni Association.

“She has the competence of ten Harvard students combined,” says DanThuy Chu ’13, Yalamanchi’s roommate.

‘BICKMANCHITAS’

Current UC members say that Bicknell’s strengths in advocacy and Yalamanchi’s finance background makes the duo a formidable partnership.

“We came from really similar backgrounds, fighting for really similar things,” says Bicknell. “We worked in very different portions of campus, but were united by our common philosophy and vision.”

“I could really just see myself working with Danny next year,” adds Yalamanchi. “We just have so much fun together and I really like the idea of building a UC community with that.”

Yalamanchi, who calls herself “the shorter half,” often signs emails to their campaign staff with the nickname “Bickmanchitas.”

Campaign staff meetings are similarly full of color and energy. At times, Bicknell is seen wearing headgear of various sorts at these meetings, such as a lion hat with long paws that can be wrapped around his neck like a scarf.

“He’s kept my spirits up throughout the campaign,” Yalamanchi says. “Whenever I’m feeling concerned, he’ll always just say, ‘Pratyusha, we got this.’”