Joining A Society/Sports Team

By Usman Sami Khan

One of the best things on offer at The University of Sheffield is the most prized Student’s Union, which has been voted number 1 in the UK on numerous occasions. The University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union is home to well over 300 societies and committees, so I hope that you’re able to find one (or a few!) that suit the way you want to spend your free time. Societies are groups of students who enjoy a common interest. Most Sheffield students are involved in societies or sports teams because they’re the best way to make friends, try new things (or carry on your passions) and guarantee a worthwhile experience. You can join societies or sports teams at any time throughout the year, so all you need to do is get in touch with the concerned authorities and get on board!

There is also a chance to start a new society if something which interests you is not on offer at the Students’ Union. The Students’ Union has excellent support and facilities to help students see their ideas come alive and be as successful as possible! There is also a chance to join a committee of your interest and get involved in actually running a society. Committee members are the core team of people who run a society or working/representative committee. You lead, you decide, you publicise, you stress (occasionally), you have fun (always), and of course you make Sheffield Students’ Union ‘number one’ in the UK! As a committee member you may also be able to get your role recognized in the extra-curricular section of your HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report). Such experiences give you a good chance to write something about in your CV, and also show to prospective employers when applying for graduate jobs and summer internships that you have actually managed a group of people and decided upon things whilst being part of an executive committee.

I have personally been involved as a Secretary for Pakistan Society at The University of Sheffield last year. This experience was very worthwhile and taught me how to effectively deal with a group of people whilst maintaining consideration of the culture and beliefs of the society, catering to different interests that the society members may have. I was also involved with constantly updating the members of the society’s events via newsletters, ensuring that they stay interested in the society. I was also a part of Enactus Sheffield where I was working as an engineer for the Local Youth Project. This project aimed at providing transferable skills to the Somalian community present here at Sheffield by making wool-based products. I, along with my team, designed a storm drain that incorporates woollen insulation to capture water pollutants before heading to streams and rivers. This idea was passed on to Sheffield City Council.

Such experiences with societies and sports teams provide you with a chance to not just work on real-life things, but also make new friends and meet new people from around the world in the process. I think societies and sports teams are definitely one of the most fun things I’ve been involved with since coming to Sheffield, and I would highly encourage you to do so as well if you do decide to come to Sheffield!

Celebrating Eid at the University

By: Usman Sami Khan

As Secretary for Pakistan Society at The University of Sheffield, a lot of work is centred around catering to religious celebrations, one of which is Eid. This was our first event of the academic year 2014/2015. Eid has never been celebrated properly, especially not in the Students’ Union where every other cultural occasion has been celebrated, such as Diwali, Christmas, etc.  PakSoc’s Eid Milan was for the first time being celebrated in the Students’ Union at Uni Central in a truly new and inclusive fashion. To encourage inclusivity and diversity in the society, members of The University of Sheffield Islamic Circle, ArabSoc, Bangladesh Society, Indian Society, and Malaysian Student Association were invited, who brought their respective members to the event.  It was a sold out event as the full capacity of Uni Central was reached. 150 individuals attended the event from different cultures and races, marking PakSoc’s biggest event in years.

The night started off with a small introduction along with a slideshow presentation to convey why Eid is celebrated to non-Muslims and the Islamic background behind it. This was a very interesting and captivating talk which gave an insight into the religious background behind the celebration. After the talk was over, attendees were made aware of the other fun activities taking place at the event - a photobooth with various props was set up for attendees to take home pictures as remnants of the event, while a henna stall was set up for females to get henna applied on their hands. This gave attendees a good chance to indulge in the Pakistani culture, furthering the society’s aim of internationalization.  A Nasheed was recited by SMSA on the occasion, which enthralled the audience with its melodious harmonies, while PakSoc Sheffield and the Indian Society collaborated to sing a mashup of Pakistani, Hindi, and English songs to keep everyone in the room entertained. A three course meal was served, which included traditional Pakistani dishes such as qeema, sajji, and sweet dishes such as kheer. ArabSoc engaged the audience in their traditional dance performance, which got everyone up on their feet and whirling about. The night was concluded with a fashion show, with attendees displaying their traditional Eid outfits and romping the catwalk to win the title of the best dressed male and female of the night. A bit of initial pushing was needed for this one, but after a few people had gotten up to walk the stage, we saw quite a few attendees eager to walk the ramp!

The event turned out to be a much bigger success than we had imagined, with people from different races and cultures attending the event; whether Muslims or not. We were able to spread a positive message about Islam while setting a light mood for everyone to socialize and get to know more members of the society. This just goes to show how very welcoming the University is to students from different faiths, and helps out anyone who wishes to try to integrate students.