On December 14, Vice Chancellor Ian White held the third VC Breakfast of the academic term with members of the student body and Activities Officer David.
The VC Breakfasts are held periodically across the academic year and are a wonderful opportunity to reward and recognise students for their hard work and efforts. The third of the year was held this morning, where the Vice Chancellor invited members of Faith and Cultural Groups to join him for breakfast.
Here are some additional details about who was invited to attend and why.
The Chair of the Japanese Society, Shauquee Damji was invited, though unfortunately couldn’t attend due to illness, to represent the Japanese Society. The society led an event last year called Asian Fest which was very popular and a huge success. David and the Vice Chancellor were keen to recognise them for their hard work in bringing together other Asian societies and giving them a chance to showcase their culture and society.
Two members from the Filipino Society, Chair Isaac Andal and Social Secretary Kimi Castillo were both invited to the breakfast. The Filipino society is a new group this year and has already amassed over 50 members. They have put a strong focus on socials that are low cost and inclusive, aiming to bring people together without necessarily including alcohol. Isacc is the founder, along with Kimi who he has described as one of the most hard-working members in the society.
The Sikh Society was also in attendance, with Chair Manau Chana and Vice President Tarun Basra representing the society. The Sikh Society have been focusing recently on spirituality and have decided to move away from partying and grand celebrations, focusing instead instead on religion as the focal point. They have been very active in pushing for the SU to include less alcoholic and party based events and describe their group as welcome to anyone. They also undertake a lot of charity work for the community – in just a few weeks they will be helping to feed the homeless.
Bath Indian Society Committee member Mansi Mulchandani was also in attendance, along with Bath Hindu Society Treasurer Aditya Garg in recognition of the amazing Diwali Ball they hosted.
The Caledonian Society was represented by Chair Jamie Cubbit and Treasurer Izzy Ballister and celebrated their amazing charity Ceilidh for RAG. The group have also hosted other events for Christmas and have already began planning events for the Spring.
Activities Executive Committee Development Lead Sofia Onate Fernandez was also invited. Sofia is an active member of the Activities Executive Committee. Activities Officer David commented that, ‘she often goes beyond the call of duty and is always looking to do more. She is a reliable and consistent presence that is always offering a helping hand. Most recently she has been helping me to organise a multicultural day for societies in semester 2, which we are both very excited about!’
David commented that he really enjoyed the VC Breakfast, adding, ‘It was really nice to be able to show off the diverse events our student groups put on for our community’.
The next VC Breakfast will be held on January 11, with Sport Officer Abbie and members of the Sport community.