On Sept. 13, more than 50 student organizations participated in NYU Abu Dhabi’s fall Student Activities Fest. Staff and students, especially first years, navigated back and forth between multiple zoom calls exploring SIGs in their fields of interest. Among the many enthusiastic first years at the fair are some who have undertaken the challenge of creating their own Student Interest Group during their very first semester at NYUAD. The Gazelle spoke with two such first years to gain insight into their prospective SIGs and to uncover what challenges they may face throughout the process.

Aya Adib, Zelalem Waritu and Mishel Rashid, members of the class of 2024, are in the process of creating a SIG called Caesura. “It is a creative space for people to express themselves freely, through writing, poetry and performance.” said Adib on Caesura. Explaining how the team wants to stay true to their chosen name of Caesura, which is an intentional pause in poetry. Adib expressed her hopes that the group could provide an open space for students to take a pause from their everyday work. Yerkebulan Imanbayev, Class of 2024, is planning to start Musifying Glass. According to Imanbayev, the potential SIG is an outlet for cultural exchange in the field of music, exploring in particular the traditional and folk music of different countries and cultures. He posited that artistically hungry people would make the most out of the group, the idea is to get a very intimate interactive experience.

In developing their groups, both Adib and Imanbayev actively took into consideration the interests of their class. “We began by gauging interest, and we already have around 50 people [interested],” said Adib.

Understanding the challenges created by their first semester being online, they are trying to provide an outlet for their peers through building a student organization together. “Watching someone on Zoom is completely different from watching someone live,” reflected Imanbayev. Adib added, “We are not just transitioning into university, we are also transitioning into an online university, which is a completely different experience.”

However, both of them appeared very hopeful in overcoming these challenges. “To start a SIG online, is less intimidating (than in-person) in many aspects,” admitted Adib.

Adib and Imanbayev both acknowledged that since first years might find the notion of creating a SIG intimidating, they might be ruling out the possibility of doing something truly worthwhile.

“If you are passionate about anything, any time is a good time,” noted Imanbayev, emphasizing that being a first year student does not limit one’s capacity to start and run a SIG.

“If you want to start a SIG, make sure you do it out of love,” he added. “Not because you feel left out or it may look good on your resume.”