New Forum | Spring 2018

New Forum Staff
Shantrell Lumpkin - Editor in Chief
Shantrell Lumpkin is a second year English major with a love of reading and writing fiction. She is a selfproclaimed
nerd, lover of all things with a great story. She believes in the power of words and the affect they
can have on people. To her, the written word is important and should be shared. Fun fact: she loves Beyoncé.
Seriously. It gets ridiculous sometimes.
Patricia Estrada - Media Director
Patricia Estrada is a passionate soul, especially when it comes to creative writing. She has written several
stories of lands far, far away. In reality, she is one year closer to obtaining her English degree. She’s excited to
graduate, yet is a bit skeptic about the life afterwards, but will be consoled by her constant marathons of The
Lord of the Rings or Star Wars franchises. Or probably has to bother her cats into cuddling with her. Either
way, she’s going to be okay.
Adam Timms - Financial Director
If anyone knows what Adam is up to, make sure to let him know. He’s constantly torn between about 19
things and striving to perfect them all while laughing at the ridiculousness of his situation. I’m serious when I
say that I talk him out of about four new projects every week. Current professional driver, editor, nursing
student, writer, and dungeon master... when not being distracted by everything else that’s going on.
Misha Ponnuraju - Social Media Coordinator
Misha is a third year English Major. She just finished studying abroad at the University of Edinburgh, where
she left her heart and hopes to return to someday. Now that she back at her beloved Irvine campus, you
might find her walking backwards on Ring Road as a Campus Representative, answering phones at
Admissions, or performing at Soulstice with the comedy group, Soulstice League. Small girl with big dreams.
Yanit Mehta - Design Coordinator
Yanit is an English and Film major whose doe-eyed innocence and resolve makes him believe that he can
make it in the brutal, grimy (yet somehow dazzling) world of Hollywood, while writing prose that will only be
appreciated in hoity-toity literary circles and well, the only reason he thinks any of this is plausible is because
of his brief encounters with hopelessly romantic artists on the cobblestoned streets of Europe. Other than
that he's a pretty humble chap. In fact, the only time you can visibly see his ego inflate is when he's facing a
plate of the spiciest food. Which is weirdly redundant because he owes his ability to handle capsaicin to his
100% Indian genetics; it's not really a skill he honed and perfected over the years after training at some secret
temple under an army of airbending monks but, more so just because his parents happened to mate in the
very land of spices. However, when he's not marveling over his devoured plate of spicy food you could spot
him on-campus clumsily throwing his arms in the air listening to contemporary jazz/funk or, if you're
unfortunate ranting about how Edgar Wright is a visionary director who needs to be making more money or
why Greta Gerwig is the modern day Joan Didion of movies and he’s persistent about it (yes, it’s
insufferable).
Melissa Salcedo- Associate Editor
Melissa Salcedo is currently a second year pursuing a major in English with an emphasis in creative writing.
When she isn’t doing schoolwork she could easily be found binging television shows on netflix or hulu, more
often than not british ones. She aspires to live a life full of both the aesthetic of going to metal concerts and
that of a Wes Anderson film. And as with many another writer she warns to any person borrowing her
computer “ignore my search history, I promise I’m a writer not a serial killer.”