The Rotaract Club of Ashoka University takes up various projects every semester to increase social interactions of students on campus as well as with the community in the nearby villages. Last semester, they collaborated with a YIF team on their ELM project, The TransFormers Initiative which aims to increase employment opportunities for the transgender community. They have continued their association with the Balgram Orphanage in Rai, with members making weekly visits. Currently, they are working towards having the kids of the Orphanage showcase their talents at the Annual Production Fortnight this semester. A collaborative cooking event, a health check-up camp, a plantation drive among other projects are also on the cards. Adwitiya Dawn heads the Rotaract club at Ashoka and her experience has been great. She has encountered various challenges in the execution of these projects and she has overcome all of them brilliantly.
1. What are some of the challenges you faced as a head of the Rotaract club?
Adwitiya: It is difficult to anticipate the level of commitment that each individual member brings to the table. For some, this club might be their top priority whereas for others it might be one of their many other on-campus commitments. As the head of the Rotaract Club, it has been a challenge to navigate through varying levels of motivation and ensuring that every individual is experiencing a positive learning curve and at no point loses interest due to a period of inactivity or lack of interest in the project at hand. Finally, more than being challenging, heading the club was a matter of efficient time management for me as I juggled my academics and other extracurricular commitments.
2. How did you end up heading the Rotaract club? How has your experience been so far?
Adwitiya: Back in my first semester when the Ashokan chapter of a Rotaract Club was in its nascent stage, I was brought on board as the Secretary of the founding Core Team. From the very beginning, I have been involved with the leadership of the Rotaract Club which is why transitioning into the role of heading the club was not a paradigm shift. My current term began in July 2017 and will be culminating at the end of this semester.
My experience so far has been very rewarding. This semester, we welcomed more than thirty new members. Our long-term goal of being able to operate a number of projects simultaneously bore fruition this semester as members not only came up with fresh ideas for projects but also took full responsibility for ensuring that it was carried out. It was a pleasure to lead a self-motivated team.
3. What changes did you bring to the club during your presidency?
Dawn: During my Presidency, the Core Team introduced a points system— a comprehensive metric for evaluating a member’s contribution to the club. This will serve a two-fold purpose of maintaining transparency during elections as well as incentivising members to constantly challenge themselves. Apart from that, this year also saw a large increase in the number of members as well as diversification in the profiles held by the Core Team.
4. What are three things you want to change about the way the club works?
Adwitiya: The following are not changes per say, but some structural methods and operational tweaks which would help the Rotaract Club become even more impactful.
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Collaboration: Initiate dialogue with Rotaract Clubs in our very own district then gradually move onto other parts of the country and beyond. The Rotaract community is very well connected which makes it easier to make use of the contacts and expertise that other clubs might have.
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Greater Awareness: Take up projects that promise to impact many. Try ideating with the various stakeholders within Ashoka to solve problems that are unique to a residential campus.
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Peer learning system: To attain a sustainable growth model built on the foundation of a strong work ethic.
5. How is the Rotaract club at Ashoka different from other social initiatives on campus?
Adwitiya: The Rotaract Club at Ashoka University specializes in service, honing leadership, professional and interpersonal skills apart from also serving as a community service organization. As is often miscommunicated, it is not a social service club. Most social initiatives on campus, at least to my knowledge, cater to a specific target group and provide services of a particular type. They are specialists in their own fields, focused on long-term and in-depth engagement.
Just like your ordinary Ashokan, a firm believer in the multidisciplinary approach to education, the Rotaract Club can be equated to a team of individuals who are driven by a broad spectrum approach. We are not restricted to any specific domain or sector but instead have access to a pool of resources which enable us to achieve large-scale impact that goes beyond one’s own immediate surroundings primarily owing to the international affiliations and global community every Rotaract Club is a part of.
6. Where do you envision the Rotaract club in the coming year?
Adwitiya: My vision for the club in the coming year is growth in strength as well as in terms of commitment towards upholding the responsibilities of being a Rotaracter. As we take up newer initiatives, we must renew our commitment to those that we have undertaken and laud the efforts of all members till date who have brought the club so far. I envision the Rotaract Club to be leading social change on campus in the years to come and wish my successor the very best for his/her term.
It is great to see that Adwitiya has contributed towards building the community while honing her own leadership style. We hope to see many other Ashokan women taking more leadership roles in the future!
Edited by Priyanka Shankar
Photographs curated by Adwitiya Dawn