Commencement 2017 profile: Habeeb Sheikh

Habeeb Sheikh has built a support network that spans faith and profession.

A political science and cinema double major from New York City who is graduating this month, Sheikh is following his interests to a career in entertainment law.

“Political science gives me critical thinking and analytical skills; it also helps me with my writing,” he said. “I’ve always been interested in media, filming, entertainment and at some point I’d love to pursue a career in that.”

Sheikh is familiar with the entertainment industry. In his free time, he is a disc jockey, mostly mixing tracks for live audiences.

“I got into DJ’ing just by messing with the programs. I put on Virtual DJ and started mixing by hand,” he said. “I started getting more sophisticated and I bought equipment. I’ve Dj’ed weddings, ‘sweet sixteens,’ banquets, parties. I’m starting to get more serious about it.”

DJ’ing provides Sheikh with a creative outlet that also allows him to enable others to have fun.

“As a DJ I have to feel out the crowd and see what everyone likes,” he said. “You have people from all different kinds of backgrounds and you have to find a balance in music styles in order to make people happy.”

On the surface, DJ’ing might not seem like a skill that has applications beyond music, but for Sheikh, DJ’ing has helped in all aspects of his life. He’s learned to cater to the desires of others and he’s been able to develop organizational and time management skills as well because he must plan sets three to four days in advance. If he knows he wants to try something new, there may even be practice involved.

“One of the main things I’ve learned from DJ’ing is thinking fast — being quick on your feet,” he said. “I start playing one song and I have to start thinking about the next two songs and what flows with each other. I always have to be thinking two steps ahead.”

Sheikh uses his time in cinema classes creating projects that bridge his academic and cultural worlds.

“Last semester in my Cinema 352 class, my professor asked us to make a film that exposed the truth. I wanted to expose that Islamophobia is a real thing that happens in the media,” Sheikh said. “I made a montage of things that show Islamophobia is real. I used clips of news anchors saying critical things about Islam that make all Muslims look bad instead of the few people who are committing crimes.”

Sheikh’s project was selected by his classmates to be shown at the Cinema Department’s end-of-the-year screening.

“That’s a project I feel strongly about since, as a Muslim, I’m looked at in a different way because of the actions of a few people,” Sheikh said. “It’s unfair that the media pushes that image on everyone.”

Sheikh has always been involved with religion and his culture and became a founding member of the Pakistani Student Association (PSA) when he arrived on campus his freshman year.

Ushna Khan, a fellow founding member of the Pakistani Student Association and close friend, recalled Sheikh’s dedication to the PSA.

“When I first met Habeeb, he seemed really nice, outgoing and funny,” Khan said. “I could tell from the beginning he was very hard working and motivated. He went out of his way to get signatures and work to see the club succeed.”

Kahn and Sheikh also found themselves working together on the Student Association Judicial Board.

“Habeeb is a very vocal person. He’s not afraid to state his opinion and defend it, but he also has the ability to listen and come to a compromise in instances of disagreements,” Khan said. “Because of his personality, he usually takes charge in meetings to get things done and brings a lot of different perspectives into discussions.”

Sheikh and Kahn have watched the PSA grow from five members during its first year to 72 general body members in 2016-17.

“We (plan) an event called Mock Shaadi, which is a traditional Pakistani wedding that we do on campus,” Sheikh said. “We have a fake bride, fake groom and wedding cake, and decorations. It’s a full-on wedding and we’ve sold out the past three years.”

In addition to his role in the PSA, Sheikh is also president of the Muslim Student Association.

“I get to actually exercise my religion and it’s a home away from home. Sometimes when you’re at school you get drowned in academics so you don’t have time to think about other things,” Sheikh said. “Islam is a very big part of my life and being a part of MSA allows me to actively think about Islam.”

Sheikh’s proudest moment as president of the MSA was his organization of a banquet titled Erasing The Lines.

“Erasing The Lines was a huge interfaith panel and I don’t think anyone on campus had ever done this,” he said. “An imam came, there was a rabbi, a priest, a Hindu pundit, a Sikh pundit and a Buddhist scholar.”

The event, which sold all of its 200 tickets, was a night filled with open discussion and acceptance of multiple beliefs.

“We had six different religions coming together in a room with people of all faiths,” Sheikh said. “We were erasing all kinds of lines that night and we were truly coexisting. It’s so rewarding and enriching to see people from different backgrounds come together.”

When Sheikh isn’t working with the PSA or MSA, he spends his time helping students tackle their fears at Binghamton University’s Public Speaking Lab.

“Public speaking has been a very important aspect of my life since I was young. My dad always strong-armed me into public speaking positions,” Sheikh said. “It’s been very beneficial — it’s made me into the strong leader I am today. Having the ability to be confident and speak to people is a great skill.”

Sheikh started working at the Public Speaking Lab during his freshman year. He’s now a senior consultant there and works with students to improve their skills.

“The best thing about it is seeing people grow as public speakers. I get to see people improve with my advice,” he said. “Public speaking is the number one fear in the world and being on the other side of that fear — helping others get through it — is so fulfilling.”

Sheikh’s career at Binghamton University has been filled with heavy involvement in student organizations and academic departments; the key to his success has been finding a place for everything.

For Sheikh, success came when he settled in: He didn’t panic when faced with a changing social landscape.

“When you get here, find a balance for yourself when you’ve put yourself out there. Staying in your room and playing video games with your freshmen friends is disadvantaging,” Sheikh said. “Place a strong importance on academics and getting involved. Strengthen yourself, find your group.

“Don’t be distraught if you don’t have friends right off the bat. Everyone has those temporary friends in the beginning, your roommates or floormates,” he said. “Through classes and clubs you find people who have the same dreams as you and think the same way.”

Sheikh’s time at Binghamton can be summed up by his determination and acceptance of the world around him.

“Ride it out,” he said. “Because it will all work out in the end.”