Year after year, the SIS Undergraduate Council grows more and more impressive, hosting important events with the goal to further SIS students’ understanding of international affairs. For example, the council hosts the International Dinner each year, an event many students enjoy. This year, the SIS Undergraduate Council features an all-female executive board and Her Campus American got a chance to speak with its President, Nausheen Rajan!
Her Campus American University: Why did you decide to join SISUGC? Did you ever believe you’d be leading it?
Nausheen Rajan: SISUGC has been an integral part of my undergraduate career. I joined UGC with the mindset that if I want to devote my life towards public service and “make a difference,” then I have to start from home. Home, in this case, had become SIS. Initially I came on as a member for the International Dinner committee, but then I was promoted to Deputy of Academic Programming, Director of Academic Programming, Vice President, and today, President! It’s surreal—I never thought that I would be leading this organization one day. As someone who has been a part of the organization for four years, you see the ups and the downs, the frustrations and the successes. You almost know too much, which can both be a weakness and a blessing for a leader. But I’m glad that I have the opportunity to give back to the university, which has allowed me to grow as an individual. Being president is like tying the ribbon of a gift when you are putting together. My SIS experience (gift) wouldn’t be complete without being able to serve as UGC President (ribbon) in my last year of undergrad.
HCAU: What does SISUGC do?
NR: In the past, SISUGC has put on events like creating military care packages for the troops, Sushi and Tea with Dean Jackson so students have a chance to interact with him in an informal setting, how to best use the IR research class as an advantageous tool for future endeavors, etc. Last Fall, SISUGC launched its first ever student magazine publication, which was a wild success. We also began a Faculty Spotlight video series, in which we interviewed SIS faculty to break down this formal, unnecessary barrier between students and faculty. In this way, students can approach any faculty member at the school without trepidation or hesitation. The faculty at SIS is dynamic, so we want to make sure that the SIS community utilizes their surrounding resources properly.
HCAU: Which event that SISUGC has done was your favorite/most inspiring and why?
NR: My personal favorite event has been International Dinner, because the event truly does a good job at celebrating the diversity within our SIS community. The entire event allows the SIS community to engage with a variety of cultures. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into making International Dinner as successful as it is every year. I am also really proud of our SISUGC magazine, which was a tremendous effort completely put together by the Council.
HCAU: What exciting things do you have in store this year?
NR: I’m trying to shake things up in my term in the most positive way. We will repeat some of our infamous events like bringing Dean Jackson into the atrium to talk to students, but we also have a great number of new ideas. Most of our events will take place between October and November. Early October, we are going to hold a peer writing workshop in the atrium and we plan to have an event in which SIS students can make sandwiches for Martha’s Table. We will also have a self-defense training session for students. International Dinner is also going to be bigger and better than ever, and will take place Nov. 11. Next semester we plan to facilitate a student dialogue about student diversity and identity in SIS. Alongside the dialogue forum, we hope to hold a student-faculty debate event. Aside from this year’s events, we will launch two SISUGC magazines, will begin a SIS Professor Speaks series in which professors comment on a current affairs issue and continue our video series, and are planning to put together a SIS Student Handbook in which all the information faculty, staff and students need to know about SIS is consolidated in one easy-to-follow handbook.
We also have organizational goals such as establishing office hours for the student body, updating our Constitution, strengthening our relationship with student government and putting together a volunteer corps so that more students can get involved with UGC. I’m incredibly excited about our ambitious agenda, and hopefully we are able to accomplish everything we want.
HCAU: What can members gain from being part of SISUGC?
NR: SISUGC looks to foster relationships within the SIS community. It is a great platform for SIS students to tap into if they want their thoughts and voices heard and we really want to produce events and address issues that the students care about. Everyone on UGC works really hard to produce innovative ideas for the student body, but we want to really cater to their needs, which I hope that we do. And if we don’t, I would love to meet with members from the SIS community to make sure that they know they have a platform out there to represent them, who is willing to listen to their suggestions and challenge the status quo. I think that’s why I’m excited to have this volunteer group, because sometimes it’s hard to think out of the box from within an organization.
HCAU: The SISUGC is e-board all-female this year! Why is this something we should be talking about? What do you think that says for women interested in International Studies?
NR: It’s quite fascinating to see an all-female e-board lead UGC for the first time. We have great diversity within the Council, but our e-board turned out to be all-female this year out of mere coincidence. Each and every single one of us are hardworking, and want to have a productive year and effective Council for the student body. We each bring in our own perspectives, background experiences and ideas. The best part is that we really are all equals in this team. We all understand where each other is coming from. It’s quite organic.
Historically, the IR world has been dominated by men. Our all female e-board truly represents the world in which we live/should live in today. Gender equality is more acknowledged in the U.S. than in many parts of the world, so there definitely must be substantive change in the future if we are to progress our society at large. Female leadership, I believe, can and will advance the global society. Mindsets must be altered and framed correctly going forward. Women must continue to challenge themselves in a world that belittles them. Women must break barriers and norms around the world to empower one another to be a reckoning force. Not all men neglect the capabilities of women and are not supportive. Men have come a long way all around the world, but gender discrimination and lack of gender equity still feeds into our generation in many parts of the world. Women must take on the roles that are not the easiest, and must become a leader in a world where societal divisions and adversity determine our path in life. Women and men must work hand-in-hand to accomplish a change in mindset that implicitly and explicitly persists around the world. It’s unfortunately harsh reality that must be met with fortitude. Things are slowly changing.
HCAU: What kinds of things to the women of SISUGC aspire to do? What kinds of things have you seen them already accomplish?
NR: Women (and men) who have been a part of SISUGC have always gone beyond what was required of them. I hope that UGC continues to foster that spirit, and the men and women who are a part of UGC build the organization in a way where it becomes more inclusive to the community rather than exclusive. We have accomplished a lot, but the sky is the limit, so we are always looking to improve, push the limit, and produce extraordinary response and results. The most important thing we can accomplish is growth in terms of organizational capacity. There is always room to improve, and we function on that model.
HCAU: What would you say to someone, particularly a woman, who is interested in joining?
NR: We don’t put limits on who we want as a part of our community and team. We want men and women of any sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, etc. to be able to approach us and talk to us about how they envision SISUGC’s role to be. If SISUGC can be more effective, tell us. If you don’t find an event particularly helpful, tell us. We are here to tailor to your needs. Most of all, we want you to be part of this holistic community—no matter who you are, what your beliefs are, or where you come from. Each individual can bring a vital perspective.
HCAU: Where do you hope your involvement in SISUGC will take you?
NR: I hope my leadership will lay a foundation of success for the organization for at least the next four years. And I hope SISUGC is able to increase its presence, as well as guide students in a direction in which they are able to get the utmost out of what the school has to offer.
Her Campus American also spoke with Anjana Venugopal and Danielle Montecalvo on what they think the best part about being on SISUGC is.
Anjana Venugopal, VP: I think the best part of being on SISUGC is having the opportunity to be more involved with the SIS Community, and getting to work with so many talented and passionate individuals.
Danielle Montecalvo, Secretary: My favorite part about SISUGC is being the liaison between students and faculty in SIS. I love putting on events that create a positive and comfortable atmosphere within the SIS community.
Photos courtesy of the SIS Undergraduate Council