Welcome to Student Group Spotlight!
Every month, we will feature a different student group to demonstrate the many diverse groups we have at MacEwan and how they all contribute to a vibrant, thriving community on our campus.
Meet the MacEwan Seva Group (MSG)!
We sat down with their executive team to discuss what Seva is and how it guides them, their upcoming Charity Mela and how you can get involved.
SAMU: Hi, welcome to the SAMU Student Groups Spotlight! Let’s get started by telling me a bit about yourselves.
Noor: My name is Noor, and I’m the president of MSG. I have just finished my first year as a Bachelor of Arts student.
Daisy: Hi, I’m Daisy, and I’m the vice president. I have also just completed my first year at MacEwan University.
Renvir: I’m Renvir, a first-year student pursuing a bachelor of science degree, and I’m the vice president of media.
SAMU: What is the MacEwan Seva Group, and what do you do?
Renvir: We want to give back to our community and create something that will have a lasting impact on campus.
SAMU: What does Seva mean? How do you let it guide your group?
Noor: Seva is a Sanskrit word that means selfless service. It’s our guiding theme and how we encourage students to give back to society meaningfully.
Renvir: It shapes everything we do. It’s about helping others without expecting anything in return, speaking with kindness, and genuinely wanting to serve the community.
SAMU: Why did you create this group? What is your favourite part about being a member?
Noor: I co-founded this group with Daisy and others. We noticed a large Punjabi community in Edmonton. We want to unite everyone and shine a positive light on it through our selfless acts. My favourite memory so far was our toy drive, and I loved seeing all the excited kids.
Daisy: Yeah, I co-founded this group with Noor, and my favourite memory so far has also been the toy drive. We went door to door, and seeing kids happy and smiling made us feel proud. It was a heartwarming event.
Renvir: I’ve been friends with Noor and Daisy since high school, so when I learned about their group, I joined immediately. My favourite memory so far was our bake sale. All the proceeds went towards women’s charities and shelters; it was good to see students supporting a great cause.
SAMU: What kind of service opportunities does your group engage in?
Daisy: We do fundraising drives, clothing and supply collections, environmental cleanup projects, educational workshops, seminars, and discussions.For the toy drive we mentioned, we set up displays around MacEwan to receive donations. We bought toys to donate to 880CHED Santas Anonymous. We also volunteered for a Diwali event to help organize and coordinate the activities, which was really fun.
Noor: We also ran a bake sale and plan to donate the proceeds to women’s shelters. The Stollery Hospital recently contacted us to inquire about volunteer hours, so they would be exciting to work with.
Renvir: We want to help people through volunteering and are open to any organization that needs help.
Daisy: We also do a Spotlight Hour on our Instagram, where we record an interview and ask our guests personalized questions, which we post on our socials afterward. This is a great opportunity for our members to be featured, and we have had about eight guests so far.
SAMU: Tell us about your upcoming Charity Mela! How has it been planning a big event like this as first-years?
Renvir: It’s our first event, so it’s been pretty challenging. Still, we have been working hard to get sponsors together and arrange other details.
Noor: We are collaborating with some other groups since students from the University of Alberta are also interested, so it’s been an interesting process.
Daisy: The Mela will be a way to have fun and donate to charity at the same time. We will have a DJ and performances by the Punjabi Heritage Folk Dance group, Chani Nattan and Inderpal Moga!
Renvir: We expect at least 700 people to attend our Mela in August. We have contacted many organizations, influencers and other student-led initiatives to spread the word and maximize our impact and reach.
Daisy: Since this is the first large-scale event any of us have worked on, it’s been a huge learning experience. It has been tough reaching out to sponsors because of our experience level, but we persevered and have met with a few event organizers and possible sponsors. We have learned a lot and encourage other student groups to take risks and host events, even if they are new!
SAMU: How can students get involved with your group? Are you looking for executive members
Daisy: However, if students want to get involved with our group in the fall, they can come to our meetings and volunteer for anything they feel drawn to. We also plan to hold our executive member election in October, so keep an eye out for that.
Noor: You don’t have to complete a certain amount of volunteer hours. We are all about selfless service, so contribute what you can when you can.
Renvir: This is a fun way to meet new people and get involved in the community.
SAMU: How has being involved in this Student Group shaped your university experience?
Renvir: I feel more connected to the university and my community. This helped me find a purpose and make new friends.
Noor: I agree. It also gave me a purpose and allowed me to meet new people and find support.
Daisy: It’s been a really positive experience. I didn’t know many people when I came to MacEwan, and this group helped me find some amazing friends. Being involved has also put my time to use and stopped me from wasting it on my phone.
SAMU: What would you say to someone considering joining a student group?
All: Go for it! Nothing can go wrong, and it’s really fun. You will meet so many new people and find something you’re passionate about.
You can connect with the MacEwan Seva Group on Instagram at @macewanseva and TikTok at @macewanseva. Follow SAMU on social media through Instagram (@sa_macewan), Twitter (@SAMacEwan), and Facebook (Students’ Association of MacEwan University) to stay up to date on the latest events, programs, and services from your students’ association.
