EXTRACIRRICULARS

VSAP is a pre-professional fraternity on campus, meaning that it focuses a lot more on professional development and community service than a traditional fraternity. After getting a bid for VSAP close to the beginning of the semester, I've met some of my closest friends who are also first-years in the architecture program, gotten familiar with some of the upper classmen, and the Architecture School (A-School) as a whole. This first semester, VSAP partnered with Habitat for Humanity for Rakethon, where around 50 of us volunteered to rake leaves in people's yards, which was a lot more fun than I initially thought. The thing about VSAP though is that it's pretty new, with a relatively small group of people in it. In the future, I'd liek to join the exec board and try to expand events, getting more people to come and participating in more school-wide projects.

UVA is known for a good mix between frat and bar culture, but I never saw myself actually joining a fraternity. I rushed because I thought it would be fun to do with my friends, a good way to meet new people. However, the further I got into it, the more I thought that fraternity life would be something I'd actually enjoy. It wasn't just about the parties, but my entire time at UVA, I looked for something of a found family, and I thought a frat would be the best way to do that. And it was. I pledged Theta Chi and made some lifelong friends, not only the people in my pledge class, but some of the upperclassmen as well. Unexpectedly, I learned a lot almost immediately about the UVA, budgeting, construction, and several other random life skills. In the future, I want to push my involvement with Theta Chi further, probably by playing some kind of role on exec or one of the chairs, so I can leave a lasting impact on the chapter, especially adding some cool building projects to the house. which you can see a picture of to the left with our chapter and nationals.

At first, I was not fully involved with the Indian Student Association, I joined because I that it was cool to not be the only Indian kid around, and figured ISA would be a good way to meet more Indian people. While I didn't get the opportunity to be a First Year Liason, I applied and am now on the exec board as a PR and Communications Chair. In this role I, along with my co-chairs, are in charge of maintaining the ISA Instagram, Tik Tok and website. I help create the posts for other chairs' events, maintain dates and announcements across all platforms, and help write and send out the electronic newsletter that all ISA members get talking about upcoming events and opportunities. While I only joined ISA in early April, that is the busiest time of the year for us. India Day, our main cultural festival, happens on mid April and the two weeks leading up to it is all kinds of rehearsals, prop setup, and, of course, publicity. Between Instagram posts, ticket sales and drawing chalk murals, PR had a lot of work leading up to the event.