O’Shane Elliott has made a name for himself both on campus and on national television. At UM, the political science major has held various leadership roles including vice-chair for the Committee on Student Affairs, co-chair of the Black Awareness Month Committee and chair of the 2014 Homecoming Executive Committee. Elliott also appeared on the Food Network show, “Chopped,” where he competed against three other college-student chefs in an intense culinary competition. In an interview with The Miami Hurricane, Elliott dishes about his dream job, how he handled the pressure of the “Chopped” kitchen and his thoughts on the dining-hall food.
The Miami Hurricane: How do you balance all your responsibilities and extracurricular activities?
Elliott: From work to school to extracurriculars, it’s all about being in the moment for me. When I see I have something to do, I just try to accomplish it as soon as I can. Sometimes it gets pushed off, but just adjusting on the fly and making time to accomplish the things I need to finish for school or for someone on time is important to me. I also depend a lot on a great group of friends that help me in my most difficult moments. I also have learned to be upfront and say no, if I know I can’t do what people ask.
TMH: What’s your dream job?
E: Dream job, campaign manager. I’d love to travel learn about communities and organize a yearlong event that is really meant to engage in dialogue. But I also like winning, so that would be fantastic.
TMH: What was it like to represent UM on national television?
E: I thought is was pretty easy, UM has such a vibrant and intense history that it’s a lot of fun to represent that to the nation.
TMH: How were you so confident and composed in such a high-pressure setting like that?
E: I’ve been able to work with a number of campus organizations and committees, which has been useful experiences in handling pressure, being flexible and just getting things done. I tend to be pretty calm and straight to the point if we’re not beating Duke in basketball or football, or just narrowly losing to FSU in football.
TMH: Do you plan on doing anything at UM with your passion for cooking? Have you ever considered integrating that into any of your campus positions in some way?
E: Since I’m graduating, I don’t have any plans to doing anything cooking-wise on campus but hopefully those on campus that love food and love to cook get together [to] make an organization and are inspired to by my representation.
TMH: Do you cook for yourself on a regular basis?
E: I cook a couple times a week in my UV. I think it’s a better and cheaper alternative, however, it does tend to be time-consuming. Other than that, I do love to visit some of the great restaurants we have in South Florida: Lulu’s in the Grove, American Social, Shiver’s BBQ.
TMH: What’s your opinion on the dining-hall food?
E: I think they do a pretty good job in the dining hall. Yes, they aren’t the best at everything, but they have things they are good at, like patty melts and that twisted mac station.