THE YALE HINDI DEBATE

Born as a student’s idea in a Yale classroom, the Yale Hindi Debate has grown exponentially, from an ambitious venture to an intellectual, cultural, and social institution.
The debate was established as a Yale-only event in 2008, and now sees participation from faculty and students from USA’s preeminent schools, including Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, the University of Pennsylvania, NYU, Cornell, UCLA, Wesleyan, Rutgers, the University of Texas at Austin, and Wellesley College.

Introducing the 2019-2020 YHD Board

October 07, 2019 / YHD President

Daniel Bacheschi

As a third-year Electrical Engineering and Hindi student, Daniel Bacheschi is the 2019-2020 Yale Hindi Debate Co-President. Having spent some time in Chennai, India, then Jaipur, India, Daniel has developed a strong connecting with South Asian culture, and enjoys watching Bollywood films, dancing, and reading about South Asian politics.

Aparajita Chauhan

Aparajita Chauhan is a third year Cognitive Science major serving as the 2019-2020 Yale Hindi Debate Co-President. She is also a member of the Yale Women’s Crew Team where she is a coxswain and has also rowed for Team USA. She grew up learning Hindustani Classical singing, and has always been a fan of Bollywood movies and music. She enjoys practicing her Hindi with her siblings at home and with her grandparents in India. Her favorite memories are visiting her grandparents in Delhi, Chandigarh, and Jaipur.

Krish Maypole

Krish Maypole is a junior in Hopper College studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. One of this year’s YHD co-presidents, Krish enjoys using the power of Hindi and other languages to connect with people and their stories. Outside of YHD, Krish is captain of Yale Men’s Volleyball, and conducts research on the migration patterns of birds.

Raj Ramnani

A junior economics major, Raj Ramnani is the VP of Logistics. On campus, Raj is a Project Manager for the Yale Undergraduate Consulting Group as well as treasurer for Yale Club Polo, of which he is a member. He is also involved in research and tutoring through the economics department. In his spare time, he enjoys playing poker, biking, and traveling. Although he grew up in the US, Raj went to high school in Jaipur, where he fell in love with Bollywood, Hindi, and Panipuri.

Bhavesh Sayal

Bhavesh Sayal is a third-year undergraduate from Houston, Texas majoring in MCDB, and the 2019-2020 Hindi Debate Vice President of Communications. Aside from Hindi Debate, he enjoys playing tennis, studying for the MCAT, and eating samosas. After his undergraduate years, he hopes to attend medical school and eventually become a cardiothoracic surgeon. He's excited to join the Hindi Debate community and to help the event become a great success this year.

Ananya Kachru

Ananya is a sophomore in Morse College at Yale, and is excited to VP of Outreach of the Yale Hindi Debate Board! Originally from Woodbridge, Connecticut, Ananya is interested in the nexus between politics, women empowerment, and education. Outside of her involvement with YHD, Ananya is involved with the boards of the Yale South Asian Society, Women’s Leadership Initiative, and Splash at Yale, and works on UN and External Partnerships with the Yale International Relations Association. She loves dancing Kathak (classical Indian dance form) with Yale Kalaa in her free time and enjoying incredible Bollywood music.

Nandan Patel

Nandan Patel is a junior majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. He is excited to plan and participate in the Yale Hindi Debate as the VP of Finance this year because it’s a unique and prestigious opportunity to apply his knowledge of the language in a practical context. He also emphasizes how amazing it is to meet such different, intelligent people and understand their perspectives on an issue that affects us all.