Heartbreaker Patel takes AME post

Rahhhhhhhhhhxanne. You don't have to put on your red light. Okay, now that you have that out of your system, just remember not to sing the Police song in front of Roxanne Patel, incoming assistant managing editor. "I've grown accustomed to it, but I really don't like it anymore," Patel said. Instead, when you think of Patel, think along the lines of John Denver. "She used get up and sing in restaurants," said her sister, Pareez Patel. "A couple stick out like . . . Country Roads. You know, by John Denver." But alas, Patel has given up her crooning and has now become one of the DP's top editors. As one of the three "Blue Room" editors, she will be responsible for editing most of the eager beat reporting staff. Patel, who was described by a close friend as an "Indian Suzanne Somers," is considered on the outside to be ditzy and flaky. But behind that shell, they insist she is very calculating and shrewd. Most point to the string of hearts she has broken as evidence of that plotting quality. "She has lots of admirers, but she's kind of a man-killer," said roommate Ann Luerssen. "I think she thinks every guy is nice, but sort of dull." "She gets bored easily," added her sister. "But I think it's because she's very independent." Originally born in northern California, her family moved out to the Philadelphia suburb of Downington when she was in fifth grade. While growing up, she was tagged with nicknames such as "Mutant," "Duck," "Ham," "Chap," and "Kid," and had a deep affinity for her thumb long past nursery school. "She used to suck her thumb a lot," remembered her mother, Fatima. "Every time we would take it out to get her to stop, she'd put it right back in." But with her thumb-sucking behind her, she was enrolled in Villa Maria Academy -- an all-girls Catholic prep school -- even though her religion is Zorastrian, one of the first monotheistic religions developed in India. "She used to drive the nuns crazy," said a high school friend, Alison Tait. "She constantly questioned and she always made us laugh at school." Once arriving at the University, she quickly climbed the ranks at the DP starting as a Faculty/Education reporter, moving to cover minority affairs and the provost office, and finally covering student government. While she constantly broke deadlines when she started, she became one of the most consistent and solid writers on the DP's staff. While Patel maintains she has kept a clean background, incoming 34th Street Editor Matthew Selman said otherwise. "At times, she is a real serious partier. Real serious," College junior Selman said. "But these are secret details." While she stands at only five feet, four inches, close friends and Patel said she has a much taller aspiration. "I really want to be a tree with lots of leaves and branches," Patel said. Selman agreed, saying that when driving with Patel, she constantly points out trees she admires. "It's weird. All of a sudden she'll say, 'What a great tree,' " said Selman. "She has a real deep understanding of trees." Her earthy look also extends to her clothing -- which are always full of vibrant colors -- and which people have described as everything from "cool and stylish," to "a '60s flashback."