Hey gang!

As I was writing this regular update, I realized that we have achieved a lot over the last few months! It's so nice to reflect back on everything you can achieve as a HinduSoc committee member and the impact you can have on other students. Here's a little recap of everything I've been working on!

Mandir Space - We've been actively working to advocate for a faith space on campus, encompassing prayer rooms, storage, and quiet reflection areas. This inclusive, multi-use space, intended for all faiths, includes dedicated prayer spaces. The project, supported by the SU Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator and David, involves a paper submitted to the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity Committee (EDIC), which has now been endorsed. Although I can't share the EDIC paper, I'm happy to provide the research and input shared with the SU.

We aim to repurpose 6WS, an underutilized study space, and the SU will submit a planning document in April to the Delivery, and Performance Advisory Board (PDPAB) for review. The prioritized list and recommendations will then go to the (UEB) and Finance Committee (FC). This is an important project for me; it is something I promised to deliver as your vice-chair in my manifesto, and I’m really glad to see progress. I will ensure that our voice is heard, and our community is represented and consulted throughout the process.

Murti - Purchasing the 5 Murtis and making the banner was one of the first tasks we completed for the society. I can still remember packing it all in my luggage at the start of the year in India. In more recent news, we purchased a Murti of Shiv Ji. We will not be acquiring a Shivling at the moment, as we can't perform the daily puja. 

Diwali celebration and puja event - The Diwali event was a massive undertaking for me, involving coordinating performances, arranging for a Pandit, managing food stalls, and establishing close collaboration with Backstage. Not to mention all the permissions we had to obtain to use sparklers and candles! For the future, we have streamlined and documented the event organization so that it can be executed every year after I have left the university.

Chai Outreach Initiative - The initiative aims to enhance outreach and engagement within the University community, especially among the 1380 students who have declared their religion as Hindu. We will be hosting 'chai and chat' stalls in front of the library, where we will be making and serving chai. We will be purchasing new equipment to make these events possible and will be looking to host our first stall as soon as possible.

Sports Development - As you are aware, we will be incorporating Kho Kho into the Bath Active program, with sessions expected to begin in early April. Organizing sports sessions has been challenging due to the significant costs associated with booking facilities in advance. Moving forward, we aim to centralize the efforts of the South Asian Societies to ensure consistent sessions. By combining our sessions, we will have enough students to demonstrate the need for advanced facility bookings. We will be discussing this with the South Asian Societies and the logistics with the SU in April.

Storage - Space at the university is like gold dust. After many discussions, we have managed to secure us three storage spaces: one in the Chaplaincy for our chai equipment, another in the Edge, a cupboard storage with the photography society for murtis, and a locker on the third floor for other items.

VC Breakfast for Cultural Groups - On December 14th, I attended a breakfast with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian White, and other cultural student group representatives. These events showcase our student body's diversity, emphasizing the importance of community within the university.

Elections - We have been spending a lot of time planning for next year and the committee structure, the result of which you have seen in the new election campaign for the society. We have expanded the team from 7 to 11 members, each of whom has distinct important responsibilities allowing us to better distribute work. I have been working on important handover documents for each committee position which will help new members hit the ground running with key information, processes, and highlighted resources.

Event Planning 24/25 - We have recently received confirmation for the Claverton rooms for next year's Diwali event for 4 days, meaning that we can do a proper Rangoli event with powder. We will be doubling our budget for the Diwali events and improving on last year's success. We will be submitting event planners to make sure we book appropriate venues by the end of the semester to ensure we avoid running into issues that we had this academic year, such as having to use electric candles for pujas. For the Freshers' Fair, I am looking into hosting outdoor movie nights in the amphitheater. We have a well-being initiative that I look forward to sharing once it has been more fleshed out.

Damm! That's a lot and I feel a huge sense of accomplishment! I would love to continue this work as your chair next year :)

We still have a semester ahead, with committee elections and exciting events. I'm thrilled, and I hope you are too. If you happen to spot me around campus, feel free to say hey or drop me an email at su-hindusoc@bath.ac.uk. I always enjoy hearing and exploring your ideas or just having a chat!

That's all from me for now. See you around!

Love,

Your Vice-Chair, Aditya Garg

 

Posted on Sat 16 Mar 2024 at 14:21 by Aditya Garg