The Bengali Students Association was co-founded in September of 2007 by Rita Khan and Samah Choudhury.
Within three months of its inception, the BSA put on a fundraiser titled "Skate for Bangladesh" to aide the victims of the previous November's Cyclone Sidr.
As a campus wide effort, the BSA raised over $3500.
In Fall 2008, the BSA premiered its website, and began planning for its first full year. A small-scale Bangla tutoring program was initiated, and a number of social events took place. In January 2009, the BSA co-sponsored a lecture on Microfinance with another organization on campus, Project Shikkha.
In Winter 2009, the BSA embarked on a second S4B, this time to raise funds for The Girl Effect. S4B 09 featured two parts: a skating night, and a community-wide banquet, our first ever "Onushthan." The BSA invited a speaker to discuss microfinance and its effect on women and girls, and debuted its own natok, "Graamcow Capitalist," written, directed by, and starring members of the BSA. The donations from both events totaled to $3500 to donate to "Save the Children Empowering Girls in Bangladesh."
In Winter 2010, the BSA continued S4B to help Babar Ali and his school in Mashiudabad, West Bengal. Again, S4B 3 featured two parts: a skating night, and a community-wide banquet, our second annual "Onushthan." The BSA invited a professor from Michigan State University to discuss education in third-world countries. The donations from both events totaled to $2800 to donate to "Deenabandhu-Friends of the Poor."
BSA traditionally hosts several social events - from mass meetings and dawats to dinners and study breaks - throughout the course of the semester to allow for networking opportunities and friendships to thrive.
The group hopes to continue this new tradition of charity work, education on the region, and social bonding between its members and the greater campus community in the future.
Past Leadership
Awards
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