Akshay Rajaram, Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) president, was pleased with the achievements of the SUS Executive this year.
The SUS organized its first General Assembly (GA) last Friday, where a quorum of 125 students was reached within an hour. In addition, a motion on accessible education was passed at the GA.
In an email to The Daily after the GA, Rajaram wrote that, “I do think that it was important in bringing together students who had an opinion on the issues being discussed [at the GA].”
“I don’t think the GA brought any differences to the SUS per se,” he wrote, explaining whether the GA has brought any changes to the SUS.
“Beyond publicizing the adoption of our stance on accessible education, I don’t think, there is any further room for implementing the motion [on accessible education],” Rajaram continued.
Beside the GA, the president – along with his team – has also been working on projects such as a new website that will be launched in a few weeks.
Rajaram described that this new website would be “more dynamic, interactive, and informative.”
“We know that this new portal will help us reach out to more students and help our departments publicize their events and services more effectively,” he added.
Another project called the SUS “Anti-Calendar” will also be launched in a few weeks. The Anti-Calendar is a database that will provide Science students summaries on undergraduate courses.
Beyond getting students informed, the SUS also provided ways for them to get involved. The Charity Semi-Formal and the White Panda concert were two events organized by the SUS to “increase science spirit and give students a fantastic social experience,” according to Rajaram.
When asked about the greatest difficulties he has faced, Rajaram wrote, “I think one of the greatest challenges this past year was trying to find time to balance existing and new projects.”
“We started the year with four objectives – to increase visibility, to increase Science spirit, to give back more to students, and to expand the services we offer,” Rajaram wrote.
He added, “At the White Panda concert, seeing 800 students dancing away having an absolute blast – that was the goal, and I think [the executive] definitely delivered.”
The year, however, has not come without its controversies. SUS executives were faced with considerable media attention earlier this year, when it was made public that the SUS had spent $4,320 on iPhones for their executives.
As for future plans, the SUS is holding GreenWeek, its annual weeklong event dedicated to educating Science students about sustainability.
Other activities include the SUS Graduation Formal and its annual SUS Appreciation Night.