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Department of Statistics

Statistics Graduate Student Association

December 10, 2024

It has been a magical semester with the Statistics Graduate Student Association (SGSA)! They kicked off this year celebrating the Class of 2028’s efforts on their qualifying exams (congratulations!) and welcoming the Class of 2029 to the department – a big celebration for the two largest cohorts we have seen since the COVID pandemic. We explored the joys of vegan pizza and lawn games in the comfort of a shady August evening, and students of all years mixed and mingled into the night.

The SGSA likewise sponsored their annual Moon Cake Social to celebrate the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn festival! It was a comfortably laid-back event in SAS with an opportunity to relax and enjoy some tea and pastries. With the semester in full swing, this was a great chance to take a moment as a department to breathe.

As the semester progressed, the SGSA came to the oft-awaited Diwali and Halloween! This year with the two holidays occurring concurrently, the excitement was amplified! Diwali (as always) was a beautiful (and delicious) feast among friends with all of the food made by our very own students. The turnout was as big as you might expect from grad students hearing the words “homecooked meal”! A costume party quickly followed on the heels of Diwali to celebrate Halloween and graduate students once again took an opportunity to get out of SAS and away from our work for a peaceful evening among their peers.

Dr. Sujit Ghosh pictured with students from SGSA who helped coordinate and cook for the Diwali celebration

The SGSA also brought back statistics intramural sports with the return of their team, Low Expectations! They swept the league in the regular season and ended the post-season with a loss against the Institute of Advanced Analytics (IAA). The season overall was impeccably played, and they will be back at it in the spring semester looking to get even with IAA!

As the semester winds to a close, the SGSA is continuing the good fight for grad student health and wellness, offering encouragement and support in this stressful time. With a strong start to the academic year thus far, be on the lookout for more from them in the spring!