This time we hear about the work of the Student Council Health and Wellness Committee and India Day celebrations.
India Day
By Petal Gahlot (TI ‘20) and Sucheta Chatterjee (TI ‘20) with Jacolyn Harmer, professor of TI
On Friday, February 21, the Consulate General of India hosted “India Day” in the Holland Center on the Monterey Institute campus.
The Foreign Service Officers from India who are currently students in various T&I language programs organized this evening event. Our intention was to make India and Indian culture more visible on our campus in a way that everyone in the MIIS community would be able to appreciate and enjoy.
The Indian Consul-General, Ambassador Sanjay Panda, joined us from San Francisco; Jeff Dayton-Johnson, MIIS Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Institute, also attended. In their welcoming remarks, both expressed their satisfaction at seeing the significant presence of Indian graduate students at MIIS, as well as their confidence that the relationship between India and MIIS would continue to grow.
Our VIP guests and MIIS students and faculty enjoyed a mouthwatering catered buffet of Indian dishes provided by Aabha Indian Grill on Alvarado Street. Once the mango ice cream and the gajar ka halwa desserts were discovered, they did not last long.
Despite the chill in the air, it was an opportunity for some of us to get out of our jeans and show off a favorite sari. Beautiful henna tattoos provided by a skillful local artist proved very popular.
We met our goal. Everyone attending seemed to have a great time and we were delighted to have had the chance to offer a glimpse of what an evening of celebration looks like for us back home in India, with delicious food and lots of music and dance.
Student Council Health and Wellness Committee
By Amelia Ortiz (MPA ‘20), Rachel Salay (MPA/IEM ‘21), and Amelia Evrigenis (TLM ‘20)
The Student Council Health and Wellness Committee was established at the close of the 2018-2019 academic year in order to create a space for the health and wellness of MIIS students to be given proper attention.
At the start of the current academic year, the newly established committee went through a visioning process during which a mission statement was written and goals for the year were set. The mission of the Student Council Health & Wellness Committee is to coordinate resources, promote awareness, and to advocate for the holistic health and wellness of the MIIS community.
In following their mission, the Health and Wellness Committee has held two open house events to promote awareness of existing campus resources and to connect students to the services that they require. In the fall, the Health and Wellness Committee helped to fund a Halloween themed sexual wellness activity conducted by QAAAM. Most recently, the committee co-hosted a workshop on “emotional freedom techniques” (EFT) with Mary Sue Abernethy, a local WellConnect therapist and certified advanced EFT practitioner. EFT, also called “tapping” or psychological acupressure, is an alternative treatment to physical and emotional distress. The committee was happy to share this free and universally accessible wellness practice with the MIIS community.
To further its mission, the committee has also worked to address the issue of housing, which presents itself as one of the greatest wellness challenges for MIIS students. In January, the committee submitted a proposal for the creation of new resources that will help MIIS students find quality housing options.
Looking forward, the committee plans to focus its attention on further advocacy and the development of a solid foundation from which the incoming committee of 2020-2021 will be able to build its work. Please keep an eye out for further events this semester!
