|
List Organizational
Experience within the MSA-UMD (include positions, responsibilities, and
accomplishments, please be specific, outlining in detail what you individually
did/accomplished):
As a part of the MSA-UMD, I
have been able to take part in many events that were held this year (2008-2009)
and last year also. Unfortunately with a schedule conflict in the fall semester
I was not able to hold any specific position. However I did attend various
events held on campus (Islamic Awareness lectures, socials, etc) I also attended
community service projects such as the MLK Day of Service and the NAAMA Walk.
List Work/Volunteer Experience (include positions, responsibilities
and accomplishments in other organizations on or off campus)
I am currently working in
the Student Activities Office here at UM-D. As part of my job I am responsible
for planning special events here on campus such as Conversation on Race and I
also help coordinate the Multicultural Immersion Program. Duties include basic
office work, working with students that want to start new student organizations,
etc. I also work with my supervisor on planning any cultural events taking place
on campus.
What are your organizational strengths? Weaknesses?
An organizational strength
is probably my creativity; I like to try new things, and take a chance on
something new. I also like to communicate with individuals, because
communication is key if a student organization wants to be successful. I also
like to stay organized as much as possible. Planning things out is a great way
to get things done faster and better. A weakness that I possess is that I am
sometimes not as optimistic as I would like to be, at times I can become
frustrated if I am not 100% satisfied with an event that I am planning. I also
tend to be quiet some times, and it is something that I just can’t help.
Hopefully, with being elected I will learn how to improve my weakness with the
help of my fellow MSA’ers.
How do you cope and work under pressure (please answer in full
thoughts/sentences providing real-life examples/situations)?
Working under pressure is
nothing new to me. With school, work and family, I learn how to manage my time
properly. I like to keep myself under pressure sometimes because it makes me
work harder. As a student assistant at the student activities office, things
become very tense when an event is just days away. There are so many things to
do, simple and hard tasks, however I like to take care of these high pressure
situations by planning things out. When I plan things out I make sure that I use
my time wisely and try to be as productive as possible.
How well do you multi task (please answer in full thoughts/sentences providing
real-life examples/situations)?
I think that I’ve become
almost an expert at multitasking. Once you learn how to divide up your time
wisely, then you’ll be set. However, multitasking can be dangerous sometimes!
When you have so many things to do, you don’t want them to be done at a minimum
level, this is why, like I said before like to plan things out. Whenever I am
faced with a good amount of things to do, I make sure that that amount doesn’t
become too overwhelming for me to handle.
How do you deal with criticism (please answer in full thoughts/sentences
providing real-life examples/situations)?
Criticism is something that I am not new to. Good or bad, it is something that
we will all deal with either directly or indirectly. I deal with criticism in a
number of ways, but violence is never an option! The best way for me to deal
with it is by talking it over, with another individual or even by my self. I
like to understand what is being criticized about me and why. In high school I
was sometimes criticized for the way I followed my religion, many controversial
topics would come up but I would try really hard to keep my comments to myself
and make sure to keep good intentions.
What will your schedule look like in the 2008-2009 school year? How many
hours can you dedicate to the MSA if you are elected? List any
external factors such as parents, school, or work that might inhibit your
work.
In the 2009-2010 school
year, my schedule will definitely be less hectic than this years. Since all of
my prerequisite courses are now out of the way, I will be taking 2 or 3
upper-level courses. I will also be working 2 or 3 days /week. Hopefully, this
will allow me to dedicate more time to MSA if I’m elected.
What does MSA mean to you? Why are you getting involved with MSA, other than the
fact that you were nominated?
MSA to me means lots of
things. First for being a highly respectable student organization that is
sending the right messages to other students and faculty, and working in the
Student Activities Office helped me see this. The MSA is something that I have
become very familiar with and I hope to become a part of in the near future . It
is a way for Muslims and even non-Muslims on campus to get together and help
this society become a better and safer place for all.
What do you feel the MSA executive board positions you are running for entails,
and why do you feel you are capable of holding such a position?
I am running for the
Sisterhood position, and according to the constitution if elected, part of my
job would be to work with the Brotherhood chair on events such as: community
service, on-campus events/lectures and even socials. Also, I will be working
with the other members on the executive board to create the best possible image
of the MSA. I feel that I am capable of holding this position because I have had
some experience when it comes to planning various events. This year I noticed
that many interesting events were planned by sisterhood and brotherhood, and I
hope to continue this trend, to get students more involved in MSA.
What are the main reasons you want to be elected as an MSA executive board
member? Include future plans you have in respect to the position.
The main reason that I
would like to be elected as an MSA E-boarder is to challenge myself. This
position will help me with leadership skills that I will definitely needed in
the future. My future plans include going to dental school, but before that I
would like to help this campus get a better image and bigger impact from the MSA
here at UM-Dearborn.
If you lose the elections, what will your course of action be towards the
organization (please specify)?
If I don’t get the position that I was planning on getting then I will keep on
working with the MSA, either at community service projects or any other events.
I will support the MSA regardless if I get the position or not.
If you are elected, will your parent(s) be supportive of your work with the
organization?
Of course, my parents are very important to me, I always make sure that they
understand what I’m doing and what my plans are, pleasing my parents is
important to me. So if I’m elected my parents will have my back 100%.
What do you feel are the strengths and weaknesses of MSA-UMD?
The strengths for MSA-UMD
are very easy to name, the first one being that it is very much respected on
campus, by students, staff and even faculty. This is something that most
organizations strive for. MSA-UMD has been able to show this campus that the
Muslims that we see on television is not a justified image for the rest of us!
UM-Dearborn is a very diverse campus, with MSA we bring Muslims from all races
and nationalities together, regardless of their culture and background. However,
with strengths can come weaknesses, MSA needs to incorporate the non-Muslim
students into the events more. Also I noticed that there is low attendance at
general meetings, with over 8,000 students that go to this school there should
be no reason why we cannot get 30-45 people to attend a meeting at least once a
month .Hopefully next year this could be another task that the sisterhood and
brotherhood positions are responsible, to make sure attendance at meetings and
events are higher!
Have you fully read & understood the constitution, have you specifically
understood your duties/responsibilities?
Yes, I have!
How well do you work with others? Give an example of when you led a team and
how you delegated responsibilities and ensure team cohesiveness.
I think that I work well
with others, just as long as they are willing to work as a team. I think its
important for a team to focus on the same goal, that way they’ll accomplish that
goal faster and easier. At my high school a couple of years ago, I was in charge
of a committee that was responsible for raising money for one of our club
events. I was constantly checking up on all my team members to make sure that
they were on the right track and asked them for their opinions on what was going
on. Thankfully, we were able to raise around $600.00 from students and staff!
Teamwork is key when you want success.
Which Islamic school of thought do you subscribe to, and what is you viewpoint
in regards to other schools of thought?
I follow the Sunni school
of thought; however I do not let this effect the way I treat people whether they
are part of another Islamic sect or even a non-Muslim. I respect all sects of
Islam and all kinds of religions because Islam is a religion that teaches us all
tolerance and patience. |
