Review Paper

Collins, Christopher
11/19/09
ENC1101- Review Paper
Sangam: The Indian Student Association at UCF
Being born a native Floridian, I have never stepped foot pass my state’s borderlines since the day I began breathing. Living in the Florida Keys as a child surrounded my life with the ocean & I have looked to it for inspiration ever since. Being out on the ocean fueled my desire to explore; constantly putting my hand over my eyebrows, starring into the abyssal horizon hoping for the tiniest trace of landmass. Having such an urge to travel and see the world started young with me and led to my eventual minoring in anthropology. I suppose I’d compare my situation to that of a rabbit locked in a cage. A rabbit who spends half of their life trapped in a box will never realize the true potential of their anatomical design; engineered for agility and grace with a forceful set of hind legs. However, once that cage door has opened, after an hour or so of getting the blood rushing and feel of stiff muscles back, you won’t ever be able to catch the rabbit again on foot. College has been my equivalence of the cage door finally opening. As I learn here at UCF and expand my intellectual capability, like a rabbit that walks about getting the feel of his body, my next step will be to never look back. I have been exploring my opportunities & options for the future and with a mindset to get as far away from home as possible both physically and mentally, my first steps in this un-caged world called a university was to seek international programs, study subjects that involved a worldly career (Environmental Studies), and experience the numerous culturally identifiable clubs here on campus.
The Sangam club at the University of Central Florida is one of the school’s most unique associations. Offering anybody the chance to join, the goal of the Indian Student Association here is to spread knowledge of their rich culture and rising world power. After a good amount of research trying to find a definition for the word Sangam, the only results that came up was a famous musical film in 1964 titled “Sangam” and became an instant classic in film history as well as an iconic movie in India (American equivalence to Grease). To best evaluate the Sangam Indian Student Association for readers everywhere, I attended a few meetings and witnessed Sangams grand event of the year, the Diwali Festival. Known more commonly as the Festival of Lights, it celebrates the triumph of good over evil; and what a fantastic & well lit show it was. For anyone out there looking for a blast of culture to change up the usual norms of the US, the India Student Association would be a perfect suit. The festival began by the former president of India Dr. Abdul Kalam (yes, their president is a doctor/engineer) explaining India’s current stand in world affairs and explained the history behind the festival. The lighting of the show set a perfect atmosphere with dim colorful lights (India’s flag colors) lining the walls of the Pegasus Ballroom and big spotlights caricaturizing the different artists and dancers perform on stage. The ISA stayed true to India’s lavish art heritage and decorative tendencies by making the front stage into the royal presidential chamber of a beautiful palace and stars igniting the background of the whole set. When it comes to aesthetics, Sangam gets three thumbs up in my book (if possible)! The festival was preceded by a cuisine of native Indian dishes such as pork, rice, and some unfamiliar to me which gave a warm and friendly feeling as the night closed to an end. The Indian Student Association has numerous similarities with other international clubs at UCF. Organizations like the African American Society and the Hellenic Society both also have mission statements that involve spreading knowledge of their culture and implementing interpretations and demonstrations to bring their culture to life on the campus they live on. What Sangam lacks that these clubs have is a more populous crowd which means better funding leading to better opportunities for the members. On the other hand, Sangam’s uniqueness gives its members a close bond with one another and creates a family-like atmosphere that can stretch out farther than the meeting room. However, regardless of what international club the spotlight’s on, they all have exquisite pride and uniqueness, & together they share unity in diversity. Sangam gets a 3/5 when it comes to campus effectiveness. If you’re looking to join a club to learn new things and experience the human experience beyond the borders of your country (mentally and physically) then Sangam would be the ideal association to be part of because they host Indian celebrations, movies, and even cricket matches. However, if you’re looking for a club that’s more involved with the campus as a whole or for one pertaining to your major or career path (unless of course your major is Sociology or Anthropology), then I would suggest putting your time in a subject that matters more or will benefit you greatly in the future because the ISA only has volunteer opportunities; no chance of internship, political involvement on campus, or scholarship availability unless you’re a citizen of India.
Sangam finds importance in ensuring the social well being of students from India and of Indian origin and to maintain the rich traditions and cultural heritage of India. Sangam promotes cultural awareness among UCF student body and facilitates a strong networking of our members through social, cultural and educational events. The Indian students here at the University of Central Florida value over all else their rich cultural pride, their artistic heritage, and do their best to promote India as one of the world's leading developing nations rather than the American discourse that India is a poor and third world-like country. They are deeply rooted in the ideology of Gandhi and participate in countless volunteer and community services, such as the famous Indian holiday the Gandhi Day of Service. In fact they do a hefty chunk of volunteering right here on campus to enhance the UCF experience for all (such as repainting buildings, planting exotic plants indigenous to India, or cleaning litter). As current social issues are concerned, India is one of the most peaceful nations on the face of the earth; only behind Denmark, Switzerland, and New Zealand. They support a national universal health care system and put countless effort towards research on cures for diseases and are a prevalent space bound country; constantly striving to improve the progress of the human experience.
The cultural programs offered by Sangam are very popular amongst UCF students. I believe that friends, or fellow UCF members, are always interested or up for something out of the ordinary; something different to experience at 4 in the afternoon on a Tuesday between their busy class schedules. With mostly on campus demonstrations, Indian students here offer the chance for anyone to break the monotony of their Monday through Friday routines by seeing how things are done on the other side of the world. Many health problems in American society stem from senseless factors such as stress, posture, diet, lack of flexibility, and even loneliness. When it comes to engaging and interesting activities, I’d give Sangam a full 5/5 for sure. Whether dancing, volunteering, or participating in Indian gown socials, they frequently demonstrate how including some Indian rituals and practices into your life such as meditation or family nights can be beneficial to you and your close ones. I would recommend meditation for anyone I meet; especially to those on campus who can so easily access such a wonderful activity with a cost of nearly nothing. With so many stressed out college students, I’d venture to say that meditating (with or without the Indian Student Association) could be an excellent way to channel emotions and be at ease rather than taking Ritalin or other drugs to get by through the studious semester days. Joining Sangam would be a fantastic idea for anyone feeling too stressed or needing a breather from the hustle and bustle of university life. In the relevance category, Sangam scores outstandingly because of their deep works in humanities and always incorporating what’s going on in India to tailor the clubs agenda for the semester. In order to keep up with the changing times of the present, Sangam members must work on tailoring their messages to all Indian and non-Indian students according to current events. For example, because of the prevalence of such a large engineering body on campus, and NASA’s strong ties with the University of Central Florida, Sangam held a seminar a month ago called “World Space Vision 2050”. The lecture, which I attended, was hosted by former president of India Dr, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and in it he talked about how once we have accomplished renewable energy independence across the globe, the next step for humanity is to focus on large scale societal missions & low cost access to space. It was quite amazing to see how many Indian students showed up for the lecture and how so many seemed so honored to be in his presence; as if we were standing in front of Barack Obama. Overall, as Sangam attracts more and more Indian and non-Indian students at UCF, the impact of their volunteering and cultural displays will help to better the atmosphere on campus and create a sense of togetherness and equality for all to benefit from here at UCF.