About IGSSA

IGSSA  - The Indian Student Association at Northwestern University was established in 2007. Started by a small group of students who, while sitting around over a few snacks one day, felt the need of a home away from home. IGSSA started out initially dependent entirely on contributions from the students and organizing small but delightful events centered around Indian Festivals. Now, after two years it has blossomed into this large well-oiled organization, which is run efficiently by the student body of Northwestern.

Last year we got recognition from the Graduate School through its Department of Multicultural Affairs and after receiving a Community-building grant for $2750 from the Graduate School, IGSSA is now officially recognized across Northwestern. This has provided us with a good amount of funds to make our events mostly free for any student to attend.

Very recently we have won the award for The Best Graduate School-Wide Organization of the Year 2009 from the Graduate School. It is one of our greatest achievements and an apt reward for all the hard work and enthusiasm shown by our students over the past one year.

The objectives of IGSSA are to increase the awareness of Indians on campus and in the community, to preserve the rich cultural heritage of India, to ensure a homely atmosphere for Indian students living away from home and to unite Indians and people of other races by celebrating and learning from diversity.

By establishing such a forum within the University, which showcases the culture and heritage of India, we have created an intriguing insight into Indian music, dances and performance arts. Diwali celebrated in both 2008 and 2009, created this wonderful multicultural fabric of interaction between students who were learning something new about each other's culture, being amazed at the similarities and curious of the differences between Indian culture and their own. Guests from different ethnic and cultural background were interested about the performances, dresses and food, and it was heartening to see Indian students equally responsive in explaining the intricacies and nuances of their culture. Besides this we have celebrated Holi, organized a new student welcome, had a number of picnics and outings and expressed our voice against World Terrorism through a candlelight protest.

Such opportunities have provided graduate students and staff, a welcome relief outside their labs and offices allowing them to relax their stressed minds, even if for a brief while.

Besides these cultural and social objectives we have also started arranging for airport pick-ups and providing temporary accommodation to incoming students, till they find a place to live. Students from within the community do this entirely on a voluntary basis.

Thousands of students from India and other countries leave their families and friends and live far away in the US. IGSSA, serves as a tiny blip on a landscape of loneliness and helplessness to welcome such students and provide them with a home-away-from-home, which they share with people from all over the world. IGSSA provides a platform for these students to showcase the uniqueness of Indian culture to all cultures and in turn learn from them, enriching their knowledge and wisdom.

Sayantan Bose
Ex - President IGSSA