Common Interests
Students share their interests and experiences
in more than 200 groups. Here's a look at
the leadership of a few of them. Text by Enid Arbelo, Photographs by Richard Baker
CULTURED: Amita DeSouza ’07, president; Divyah Nagendra ’09,
cultural co-secretary; Nisha Puntambekar ’07, publicity co-chair; and
Niranjani Thuppal ’10, cultural co-secretary
ADITI The Association for Development of Interest in the Indian Subcontinent
was first established in 1985. Since then, the group’s mission has
remained the same: To raise awareness of South Asian culture and to share
it with the campus community and the city of Rochester.
“Our office is peppered with old photographs,” says Amita DeSouza ’07,
the president of the group. “The goal is to try and instill a sense
of tradition.”
With about 300 members, the group is known for its popular South Asian Expo
and Mela, which highlight the culture, including sports, history, politics,
and performance of India.
LYRICAL: Brett Stark ’07, vice-president; Shane Campbell-Staton ’07, performer; Latrice Akuamoah ’07, secretary and community service coordinator; Sukhmit Kalsi ’07, performer; Sirish Kondabolu ’07, president; and Joel Kajubi ’09, publicity officer
UR Hip Hop Originally started as a break-dance group in the early ’90s,
the group soon became an organization that shared an appreciation for Hip Hop.
The group has helped inform and entertain the campus community at events
such as the Hurricane Katrina benefit concert and by participating in the
Power of Dance programs that bring cultural groups to city schools. The diverse
group prides itself on its compelling lyrics that touch on racial, political,
personal, and religious issues.
“We want to bring who we are and where we come from into our music,” says
Brett Stark ’07, UR Hip Hop president.
AWARENESS: Laney Widener ’09, Earth Day and business coordinator; Emily Reiss ’08, member and former president; Gerald Abt ’08, co-president; and Sasha Bilow ’07, publicity chair
Grassroots One of the University’s oldest and most visible environmental
action and awareness groups, Grassroots has prompted efforts to bring organic
and local foods to Dining Services and advocated for the addition of environmental
issues in the curriculum. The group’s annual programs, such as a yard
sale of dorm items that would otherwise be thrown away, focus on fun ways
to encourage students to be stewards of the Earth.
“The idea is to make people aware of the consequences of their actions,” says Gerald Abt ’08, co-president of the group.
COUNCIL: Keith James ’07, publicity chair; Catalina Berry ’07, vice-president; Cendrine Robinson ’07, president; Ana Pena ’08, secretary; and Sayaka Hanada ’07, treasurer
Multicultural Greek Council Established in 1999, the Multicultural Greek
Council includes members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the National
Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations, and an Asian-interest fraternity.
The council represents 12 organizations that individually have between 2
and 10 members each. By joining together to organize programs, the council
has a strong presence on campus. “Because there are so few of us, it
provides us a forum and a place to come together and discuss problems,” says
Cendrine Robinson ’07, president of the council. “It brings unity
and encourages us to cosponsor programs.”
Alexander Pearlman ’07 would be happy to help find a student organization
that’s just right for you. “We’ve established a system that
if there isn’t a group that interests you, we can start one,” says
Pearlman, the president of the Students’
Association. That entrepreneurial spirit may help explain why, this year, more
than 4,000 undergraduates—the equivalent of every student in the College—take
part in more than 200 groups ranging from academic clubs to pre-professional
societies. The groups are funded through the Students’ Association (SA),
the elected body that officially represents undergraduates in the College to
the administration. For students like Pearlman, the groups offer chances to
diversify their interests and experiences. “When people share common
experiences, that’s where personal growth develops,” he says. Anne-Marie
Algier, director of Wilson Commons Student Activities, says the mission of
SA is to enhance the college experience by giving students a place to take
on leadership roles, delve deeper into academic pursuits, or just simply relax. “We
believe that it’s a really important component in student life,” she
says. “In an academically rigorous environment like we have here, students
need to have balance,” she says. While much of student life is based
on assessment, student groups offer a less demanding alternative. “(Student
groups) are a place where they can make mistakes and the stakes are not too
high,”
Algier says. “If you do fail, you will learn a really good lesson.”
Pearlman agrees: “There’s no grade associated with it. It’s
all about self-motivation.”
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