Indian Society: Welfare Officer

Hi everyone, I’m Sheena Doshi. I’m a first year undergraduate here at UCL and am applying for the role of Cultural & Community/Welfare Officer for UCL’s 2022-2023 Indian Society. I believe I’m well-fitted for the role as having lived in India for the past 12 years I have strong roots to the authentic desi culture (more than just AP Dhillon and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham). I can bring this to Indian Society’s advantage by organising events such as ‘desi games night’ wherein participants play games such as ‘pithu’ or ‘lagori’ which are authentic to Indian culture but can be enjoyed by anyone who loves competition and wants to have a good time. I think that my perspective as an International student could be useful in organising events that truly capture the attention of International students and make them feel more at home. Moreover, as an individual I am very approachable and inclusive towards people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds – a key requirement for this role. I enjoy working as part of a team and hope that my experience as Head Girl in high school and First Year Academic Rep for my cohort at UCL have taught me to effectively be a team player. I believe I could also be helpful to other committee members as I have a keen interest in Indian music, sport and dance. If elected for this role I would push for more culturally enriching social events that display the Indian culture but in a fun way. 

Hi, my name is Aakanksha, I am a first year Med student and I am running to be Welfare Officer!  I have been to and loved all of Indian societies’ socials and events this year, such as Dhamaal and Jashn, as they have reflected the diversity and culture of India. I would love to be involved in helping to plan and run these events. Also, I am someone who is very proud of their culture, Indian society has given me this feeling of home away from home and, I would love to be a part of establishing this for all students. As someone who is part of the EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) sub-committee and is training to be a vaccine volunteer for St John’s Ambulance, I realise how important it is for the society to include individuals from all backgrounds in order to achieve a sense of community, a key part of Indian culture. Previously, having been part of the sixth-form leadership team as assistant head girl, has enabled me to gain the skills to work very well in a team as I am aware of my role and, can effectively communicate with other team members and, can be organised. Therefore, presenting the key inter-personal skills I can add as an individual to the committee.

I am applying to be Cultural & Community/Welfare Officer because I recognise the importance of celebrating Indian culture and I believe that I can help to do this within Indian Society. India is a very large country and as such it has a diverse culture, with different communities and regions having very different norms and traditions. I believe that Indian Society should put on and promote events to celebrate all aspects of India's diverse culture, not just those aspects that generally receive the most attention, in order to become more inclusive to all Indians. I have experience in this, having helped to organise a show celebrating cultural diversity while I was at school. From a welfare perspective, I believe that Indian Society can have a real positive impact on the welfare and wellbeing of its members by being a 'home away from home' both for international students from India, who may feel homesick being so far away from their home country, and British Indian students, who may want to stay connected to their heritage while at university. For these reasons I believe that I would be a good Cultural & Community/Welfare Officer.

I’d love to take on the role as welfare officer for Indian society next year because I’ve really enjoyed the various Indian society events so far and I think this would be a great opportunity to give back to the community. I think a big reason as to why Indian society has been so successful is due to all the cultural elements which have been well integrated, such as the Bollywood movie nights and the cultural society day. As welfare officer, I think I’d be in a great position to continue this successful incorporation of authentic Indian culture, as well as coming up with fresh ideas for the future because I am quite well-informed about the culture, such as the traditions, food, music, and all-things Bollywood of course. With regards to my experience and suitability for the role, I was selected to be a first-year academic rep for my course, and so I’ve got experience with communicating and coordinating with not only many people, but also a range of people. I’d like to think I’m therefore someone quite friendly and approachable. I want to encourage more people, regardless of their background, to feel more connected with Indian culture because I think it’s a nice way to meet new people and gain a greater appreciation for our culture. I would love for the chance to get stuck in and take on this role because it’ll be really rewarding and a great opportunity to get more involved with one of the largest societies at UCL.