NetSAP Boston 2009 Executive Board Nominations and Extended Deadline (15th November 2008)

Here are the nominations for the 2009 NetSAP Boston Executive Board. The deadline is extended till 15th November 2009. To declare your candidacy, submit one-page letter of intent to Tushneem Dharmagadda, President, NetSAP Boston & Elections Officer at tushneem.dharmagadda@netsapboston.org.

Members are encouraged to sign up for open positions or a position of interest (from the non-open ones too). Voting will most likely take place on or before December 13th 2008.

Click here for details on the The letter of intent and Board Member responsibilities.

Position Responsibilities & Duties Avg. Time Commitment The following positions on the 2009 Executive Board are contested President Provide leadership, vision and guidance to the team in all areas.Manage the overall flow of activities and events. Nominees: Kunal Mishra 8-10 hours / week Vice President Responsible for creating alliance partner relationships, external communications and building the NetSAP-Boston brand. Coordinate all teams (social, professional, community, cultural, membership and sponsorship). Work hand-in-glove with the President in all these activities Nominees: Chaitali Thakar, Usha Govindarajulu 6-8 hours / week Treasurer Oversee and manage finance for NetSAP-Boston, including generating periodical reports. Maintains all financial records. Work hand-in-glove with Sponsorship Chair in building the financial status of NetSAP-Boston Nominees: Swarupa Purandare 4-6 hours / week Secretary Responsible for, managing internal communications, board meetings and newsletter. Keep an on-going record of all activities and events. Help President and Vice-President coordinate all teams. Nominees: Gayathri Arumugham 4-6 hours / week National Liaison Coordinate communication between NetIP-NA and NetSAP-Boston. Attend all meetings and conference calls and represent NetSAP-Boston in the National organization. Work with respective Chairs and develop initiatives at NetSAP-Boston with National significance. This includes membership incentives and sponsorship opportunities. Nominees: Manoshi Vin 2-4 hours / week The following positions on the 2009 Executive Board are finalized by the President & Board of Directors (Vice President, Treasurer, & Secretary) Website Director Multiple Openings Maintain, update and develop the NetSAP Boston website; Assist with all web-related NetSAP activities including forums. Requires knowledge of basic HTML and JavaScript. Knowledge of PHP scripting language preferred. Nominees: Sivashankar Pattamadai 3-5 hours / week Membership / Marketing Chair Multiple Openings Take a proactive role in constantly increasing membership base by devising new strategies; Manage all marketing-related activities for the organization and Alliance partner relationships. Nominees: Sonia Rai, Sanjay Tamhane 3-5 hours / week Sponsorship Chair Multiple Openings Responsible for securing sponsors for NetSAP-Boston. This key position involves building relationships and securing sponsorships from corporations and other potential local organizations to achieve annual sponsorship goals to support NetSAP-Boston Open 3-5 hours / week Social / Networking Events Chairs Multiple Openings Develop and manage all social & networking events; Organize all monthly social events; Organize an additional 4 to 6 networking events per year. Nominees: Kalyan Bemalkhedkar, Harish Gulati 3-5 hours / week Professional Development Chairs Multiple Openings Develop and manage all professional development events which include panel discussions, speaker series, and mentoring events; Organize 6 to 8 professional events per year. Nominees: Sonit Seth 3-5 hours / week Cultural/Theatrics Chair Multiple Openings Develop and manage all cultural/theatrics events which include Gala events, celebration of festivals, Chai chats and plays; Organize 3 to 4 cultural events per year. Nominees: Sivashankar Pattamadai, Rishi Popat 3-5 hours / week Community Service Events Chair Multiple Openings Develop and manage all community service initiatives which include volunteering events, fund-raising initiatives and social entrepreneurship panels; Organize 3 to 4 community events per year. Nominees: Saru Mahajan 3-5 hours / week NetSAP Forum Moderators Multiple Openings Moderate and maintiain User-Forum on the NetSAP website. Open 3-5 hours / week
	Please Submit your nominations by Saturday, 15th November 2008 to tushneem.dharmagadda@netsapboston.org Click here for details on the The letter of intent and Board Member responsibilities.

NetSAP Discounted Events: "One Night in India" - Gala with Fashion Show at Taj Boston & Pandit Jasraj Concert at MIT

Continuing on our efforts to bring our members more discounted events, we have two popular events on October 24th and October 25th - "One Night in India" - Gala with Fashion Show at Taj Boston & Pandit Jasraj Concert at MIT. More details are below.

NetSAP Boston is striving hard to bring more more value for their membership by partnering with several organizations in the New England region. Our partners are listed on our alliances page and their events are posted on our forum. If you are not a NetSAP Boston member yet, take advantage of the 2009 Membership promotion and sign up now!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"One Night in India" - Gala & Runway Fashion Show by Shelley Chhabra Bridal's
Hosted at Taj Boston Hotel
Sponsored by NetSAP Boston, Safar Boston & Leader Bank

A fashionable evening in the Taj Boston Grand Ballroom with award winning Indian appetizers, music by the legendary DJ Babyface, hosted drink tickets, and a runway fashion show unveiling Shelley Chhabra's 2009 collection.

Tickets are a discounted $40 for Netsap members and can be purchased online. Afterparty at Boston's Underbar.

Date: Saturday, October 25th, 2008
Time: 8pm to Midnight
Place: Taj Boston, 15 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116
Price: General Admission $50, NetSAP Members $40
Registration:
Members: Click here (Membership will be validated)
Non-Members: Click here

NetSAP Membership will be verified.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MITHAS presents Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj
Khyal -Hindustani Vocal Signature Fundraiser concert

With
Pandita Tripti Mukherjee - Vocal Support
Aditya Narayan Bannerjee and Nitin Mitta on Tabla
Madhu Vora on Harmonium

NetSAP Members only - 20% off on any level seating (with valid NetSAP ID) - Pls. use coupon code - NETSAP20 while purchasing. Offer not valid for purchases already made without using the coupon code.

When: Friday, October 24, 2008
6:30 PM - Pre-concert reception with a musical colloquium by George Ruckert, an accomplished Sarod player and the founder of MITHAS
8:00 PM - Fundraising Concert

Where: Kresge Auditorium, MIT
FREE parking available in MIT's West Garage on 125 Vassar Street
http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?selection=W45

Event Details & Registration: Click here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SIGN UP FOR 2009 NetSAP BOSTON MEMBERSHIP

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prudential signs up as a NetSAP Boston Sponsor

We are glad to announce that Prudential has signed up as a NetSAP Boston Gold Sponsor. Considering that this sponsorship support from Prudential comes despite the chaos in the financial markets and economic turmoil, just goes on to show the strong commitment of the company towards the communities that they work in. It also reinforces the dominant and influential role that NetSAP Boston plays in the New England region.

NetSAP Boston Executive board thanks Prudential for their support. As always funds from this sponsorship will be used to improve the quality of NetSAP events and to support all our non-profit charity organizations in the area. To read more about these initiatives please read the many articles on our blog: Human Face of NetSAP Boston, Note from Vibha, Note from India School Fund, Note from Sahayta.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the sponsors who have continuously supported NetSAP Boston over the last 3 years...

NetSAP discounts for 2 awesome events: ForSE 2008: Forum for Social Entrepreneurs & Indian Ocean Rock-Fusion Concert

NetSAP Members can avail of discounts for two popular events this weekend - ForSE 2008: Forum for Social Entrepreneurs & Indian Ocean Rock-Fusion Concert. More details are below.

NetSAP Boston partners with several organizations in the New England region to give its members a wide choice of events (apart from the regular NetSAP Boston events) and more value for their membership. Our partners are listed on our alliances page and their events are posted on our forum. If you are not a NetSAP Boston member yet, take advantage of the 2009 Membership promotion and sign up now!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ForSE 2008: Forum for Social Entrepreneurs

ForSE 2008 brings together social innovators, business professionals, investors, donors, academics, and students to share technology, business ideas and management learnings and to foster discussion and action on new social venture concepts.

Date: Friday October 10, 2008
Time: 9.00 am to 5.30 pm
Place: Graduate School of Management, Boston University, 595 Commonwealth Ave., Boston Ma 02215
Price: General Admission $75, TiE members/NetSAP Members/BU affiliates $35, Students $20
Register: http://www.bu.edu/forse

Select TiE as your affiliation (from the drop-down box) when you register for this event. NetSAP Membership will be verified.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Indian Ocean Rock-Fusion Concert Live @ MIT; NetSAP Special Offer

"Indian Ocean does with Indian music what I always wanted to do with Chinese music." - Yo-Yo Ma.
Association for India's Development (Boston/MIT chapters) invites you to experience the best of Indian rock-fusion music and to make a difference by supporting a great cause. Indian Ocean is currently one of the most popular fusion bands in the world. With an electrifying stage presence that matches their phenomenal talent, the group blends Indian rock, folk, and classical music and various other styles, truly creating music without boundaries. All proceeds to towards supporting sustainable development projects in India.

$5 off per ticket for NetSAP members. Enter discount code: NETSAP on the online tickets page to receive discounted tickets. You can get additional 'early bird' discount if you buy on/before October 1st. Discounts are limited to online purchase.

When: Sunday, October 5th, 6:00-9:00PM (doors open at 5:30PM)
Where: MIT Kresge Auditorium. 48 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA
Event Details & Registration: http://www.aidevent.org/MIT

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SIGN UP FOR 2009 NetSAP BOSTON MEMBERSHIP

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New and Upgraded NetSAP Boston Forums - Reach out to the community!

We recently upgraded the forums on the NetSAP Boston website. The forum is a great way to interact with other people in the community, learn about non-netsap events, new job opportunities and more.


Discounted Events: Many events posted on the forum by our alliance partners offer discounted and special pricing for NetSAP Members. So take advantage of these offers.

Job Opportunities: Our sponsors and members post new job openings on the forum. It is a very effective way to hire people from a network that you know of and where you can get easy references.

Activity Partners: Mingle with other people in the community around your favorite activities. More networking outside of NetSAP events

Housing & Rentals: Looking for roommates or a home for yourself. Where else to find someone from the community other than this forum.

Classifieds: Post Ads about anything that you want to sell, buy or barter.

RSS Feeds: Dont have time to visit the forum every day? Subscribe to the RSS feeds and get the latest posts right into your browser or your favorite RSS reader.

All forum posts are sent out in our weekly newsletter and also appear on our home page www.netsapboston.org (center right box). So the visibility is very high.

Try it out at www.netsapboston.org/forums

Nominations now Open for NetSAP 2009 Executive Board!

NetSAP Boston Annual Elections

The Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston (NetSAP-Boston) invites dynamic, creative and motivated members to take up leadership positions in the 2009 Executive Board. If you are interested in becoming part of the NetSAP Board, please send in your nomination for a position that suits your interests and talents from the list below. Elections will be held on Saturday, November 15th, 2008. Other Chair positions on the Board will be nominated soon after.

Deadline for sending nominations is Sunday, November 2nd, 2008

Volunteering on the NetSAP-Boston Board allows you to enhance your resume, expand your professional network in the Greater-Boston area and be recognized in the community for your contributions. Read our blog article "Five Great Reasons to Volunteer for NetSAP-Boston".
If you cannot commit much time but still want to get actively involved with NetSAP-Boston, join our volunteer group. Email Sheila Rajan, Secretary at sheila.rajan@netsapboston.org

To declare your candidacy, submit one-page letter of intent to Tushneem Dharmagadda, President, NetSAP-Boston & Elections Officer at tushneem.dharmagadda@netsapboston.org by Sunday, November 2nd, 2008.

The letter of intent should address the following and should be limited to less than 500 words.

• Your professional background
• A brief history of your past extra-curricular activities and achievements.
• Why should you be chosen for the position?
  • Your motivation to join or continue on the NetSAP-Boston Executive Board
  • Ideas and Vision that you will bring to NetSAP-Boston and how they can
    contribute to the growth of the organization

Please note that all Executive Board members are required to attend monthly Board meetings. Executive Board members should also be willing to take an active and helpful role in all the activities and events that NetSAP-Boston has to offer.

Position Responsibilities & Duties Avg. Time Commitment The following positions on the 2008 Executive Board are contested President Provide leadership, vision and guidance to the team in all areas.Manage the overall flow of activities and events; 8-10 hours / week Vice President Responsible for creating alliance partner relationships, external communications and building the NetSAP-Boston brand. Coordinate all teams (social, professional, community, cultural, membership and sponsorship). Work hand-in-glove with the President in all these activities 6-8 hours / week Treasurer Oversee and manage finance for NetSAP-Boston, including generating periodical reports. Maintains all financial records. Work hand-in-glove with Sponsorship Chair in building the financial status of NetSAP-Boston 4-6 hours / week Secretary Responsible for, managing internal communications, board meetings and newsletter. Keep an on-going record of all activities and events. Help President and Vice-President coordinate all teams. 4-6 hours / week National Liaison Coordinate communication between NetIP-NA and NetSAP-Boston. Attend all meetings and conference calls and represent NetSAP-Boston in the National organization. Work with respective Chairs and develop initiatives at NetSAP-Boston with National significance. This includes membership incentives and sponsorship opportunities 2-4 hours / week The following positions on the 2008 Executive Board are Nominated by the President & Board of Directors (Vice President, Treasurer, & Secretary) Website Director Multiple Openings Maintain, update and develop the NetSAP Boston website; Assist with all web-related NetSAP activities including forums. Requires knowledge of basic HTML and JavaScript. Knowledge of PHP scripting language preferred. 3-5 hours / week Membership / Marketing Chair Multiple Openings Take a proactive role in constantly increasing membership base by devising new strategies; Manage all marketing-related activities for the organization and Alliance partner relationships. 3-5 hours / week Sponsorship Chair Multiple Openings Responsible for securing sponsors for NetSAP-Boston. This key position involves building relationships and securing sponsorships from corporations and other potential local organizations to achieve annual sponsorship goals to support NetSAP-Boston 3-5 hours / week Social / Networking Events Chairs Multiple Openings Develop and manage all social & networking events; Organize all monthly social events; Organize an additional 4 to 6 networking events per year. 3-5 hours / week Professional Development Chairs Multiple Openings Develop and manage all professional development events which include panel discussions, speaker series, and mentoring events; Organize 6 to 8 professional events per year. 3-5 hours / week Cultural/Theatrics Chair Multiple Openings Develop and manage all cultural/theatrics events which include Gala events, celebration of festivals, Chai chats and plays; Organize 3 to 4 cultural events per year. 3-5 hours / week Community Service Events Chair Multiple Openings Develop and manage all community service initiatives which include volunteering events, fund-raising initiatives and social entrepreneurship panels; Organize 3 to 4 community events per year. 3-5 hours / week NetSAP Forum Moderators Multiple Openings Moderate and maintiain User-Forum on the NetSAP website. 3-5 hours / week
	Please Submit your nominations by Sunday, November 2nd to tushneem.dharmagadda@netsapboston.org
Thank you and we look forward to your declaration of candidacy. If you have questions on any of these positions or need to discuss more, email Tushneem Dharmagadda, President, at tushneem.dharmagadda@netsapboston.org Sincerely, The 2008 Executive Board Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston (NetSAP-Boston)

Its a Hattrick! NetSAP Boston wins the Best Large Chapter Award 3rd time in a row!

Dear Member & Patrons,

Thanks to your unconditional support for the organization, the tons of new initiatives, and exciting events in our Chapter, we were able to win the NetIP's Best Large Chapter Award for 2008. This is the third consecutive year that NetSAP-Boston has won this award.

Considering that we had to compete with 22 other NetIP chapters in the US & Canada to win this award it is no ordinary feat. This obviously could not have possible without the extra-ordinary efforts of the many NetSAP board members and volunteers who worked very hard this year. Kudos to each of them for making this happen.

We are also excited to announce that the 17th Annual NetIP National Conference in 2008 that was hosted by NetSAP-Boston was an overwhelming success. More details are on the conference blog

As always we are looking for motivated volunteers to help us out. Read more about benefits of volunteering and feel free to contact us for more information.

Also read NetSAP-Boston does it Again - Wins NetIP's Best Large Chapter Award for 2007

2009 Membership Promotion and Renewals! Take advantage now!

Dear NetSAP Boston Members & Patrons,

NetSAP Boston's membership promotion for 2009 has begun and ends on January 31st 2009. A typical member in 2008 received over $500* of benefits for a fee of just $50.

There are numerous benefits and advantages of becoming a member.

NetSAP Boston Membership also gives you:

• Access to member-only events, preference and discounts at all NetIP events
  
  
• Discounted access to events of 20+ NetSAP Boston Alliance Partners
  Recent Discounted Partner Events:
  NetSAP discounts for 2 awesome events: ForSE 2008: Forum for Social Entrepreneurs & Indian Ocean Rock-Fusion Concert
  NetSAP Discounted Events: "One Night in India" - Gala with Fashion Show at Taj Boston & Pandit Jasraj Concert at MIT
  
  
• Discounts at Museums, Professional coaching organizations and other vendors
  
  
• $5 referral bonus for each new member that you refer to NetSAP Boston

For a comprehensive list visit www.netsapboston.org/join

As a token of our appreciation, we are offering discounted rates for renewing the 2008 membership. An email with a link for discounted purchase will be sent out soon. If you are a 2008 member and have not received this email please contact Sanjay Tamhane, Membership Chair at membership@netsapboston.org ASAP.

If you sign up for membership now, the following promotional rates will apply:
New Members
Individual Membership: $45
Couple Membership: $75
Students: $30

Existing 2008 Members ('08 members renewing for '09)
Individual Membership: $30
Couple Membership: $55
An email with the Online Renewal Link will be sent out to 2008 members soon. We also encourage renewal at our events.

Our referral program still continues. If you are a current member and refer a new member to NetSAP Boston, you will immediately get $5 in referral benefit.
[when you ask your friends to sign up for membership online on our website www.netsapboston.org/join ask them to provide your name in the "Referred By" box and we will send you a referral check for the total number of new members referred by you at the end of every month.]

We hope that you will take advantage of this exciting offer. In addition to supporting a non-profit organization and it's programs, you will also become part of one of the most influential South-Asian communities in New England.

Sincerely,
NetSAP Boston Executive Board

Relive your Memories - Showcasing NetSAP Boston at The 17th Annual NetIP Conference

Showcasing NetSAP Boston at
The 17th Annual NetIP Conference

Professional Seminars & Dinner Circles
(Now with Top-notch Speakers)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



For those of you who like professional seminars & Dinner Circles at NetSAP Boston, the Conference takes it a level higher with top-notch speakers and engaging topics from Opportunities in India to Healthcare to Social Entrepreneurship. On top of these, the workshops and networking events allow you to expand your professional circle.


Theatric Plays & Acting Workshops
(Now with Documentary screening, Art Exhibitions & 3 Workshops)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



If you loved our Plays and the theatric workshops, the Conference boasts of interesting documentaries, art galleries and 3 different acting workshops for amateurs! Learn how to act and watch how professionals from mainstream professions just like you are making their hobbies/passion into careers!

Sunset Cruise
(Now on the Odyssey)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



For those of you who had tons of fun on our Sunset Cruise last year, imagine how much more fun it would be on the Odyssey Cruise with 850 people - an elegant sit-down dinner, dance floor and great music!

Wine N' Greet
(Now with 150 people & its Speed-dating)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



If you loved to meet people at our Wine n Greet events at Vinalia, the Conference boasts of the biggest Wine n Greet ever. And yes, unlike our regular Wine n Greets, this is a speed-dating event. So if you want to make friends or you are looking for that someone special you don't want to miss this opportunity!

The Classy Gala
(Now with 850 people and a Red Carpet)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



For those who loved our classy Annual Gala in November last year, the gala at the Conference will take you out of this world. A Red Carpet Themed Gala with tons of entertainment (including our very own Boston Bhangra, Comedian Rajiv Satyal, Jazz Band...) and class!


Come Experience Your Favorite NetSAP Boston Events
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 17th Annual NetIP Conference 2008!
www.netipconference.org


Join 850 other professionals this labor day weekend to
Explore. Dream. Discover.

Registrations Prices are going up, so Register Soon!

The Sweet Deal: 50% off on 2009 Membership for those who attend the NetIP Conference in August

The Conference Offer - Discounted Membership

Dear NetSAP Boston Members,

As many of you are aware, NetSAP Boston is hosting the 17th Annual NetIP
Conference this year in Boston. Several NetSAP board members are busy planning and working hard to make this flagship event very memorable! Based on the content and the response we got so far, we are confident that it is going to be an amazing experience for you!

For the unconditional support you have shown for NetSAP Boston so far, we want to thank you and show our gratitude through this sweet deal.

Every 2008 NetSAP Boston Member who attends the NetIP/NetSAP Conference in August, will get 50% OFF on the 2009 NetSAP Boston Membership.

(Offer not valid for Student Memberships. Your 2009 Membership will be valid at any NetIP/NetSAP Chapter in the country. So get the value even if you plan on moving out of Boston sometime next year!)

Come enjoy all your favorite NetSAP Boston events at the Conference in August and Relive your memories!

Members from 23 NetIP/NetSAP Chapters across the country will make it to the Conference this year and it will be great to see "Our Chapter" - NetSAP Boston represented in large numbers and show everyone what Bostonians are all about - Fun, Entertaining, Classy, and Sport loving (except the yankees :) right?).

Note: Registrations Prices will keep going up every week and will close by mid-August. Take advantage of the low prices, Sign Up For NetSAP Boston Membership and Register for the Conference soon!

We look forward to seeing you all at the Conference!

Tushneem Dharmagadda, President, NetSAP Boston
Pallavi Chhabra, Vice President, NetSAP Boston
Sanjay Tamhane, Membership & Marketing Chair, NetSAP Boston

Membership Prices Reduced – Take Advantage and Join NetSAP Boston Today

The NetSAP Board would like to announce that we are reducing membership prices! Membership prices have been pro-rated as follows:

Individual: $40
Couple: $70
Student: $25

With the members-only National NetIP Conference just around the corner, now is a great chance to join NetSAP Boston. For more information on joining, please visit: http://www.netsapboston.org/join.html

As a bonus, if you join before June 20^th, you will be able to attend the NetIP Annual Conference kick-off party at Felt for FREE! The kick-off party promises to be a fantastic event. Come to Felt where you can sip delicious cocktails, enjoy complimentary appetizers, network with NetSAP members and learn more about the upcoming conference! In addition, attendees will be granted admission to the 4^th floor of Felt after 11:00pm. For more information on the kick-off party, please visit: http://www.netsapboston.org/events/2008/conferencekickoff.html

As a reminder, there are a number of other benefits to joining NetSAP Boston:

• Discounts worth over $300 at NetSAP events throughout the year
• Access to Member-only events and preference at all NetSAP events
• $5 in referral benefit when you refer a new member to NetSAP Boston
• Membership valid at 22 NetIP/NetSAP chapters throughout the US and Canada
• Discounted access to 15+ NetSAP-Boston Alliance Partners
• Exclusive discounted access to the 17th Annual NetIP Conference in Boston.
• Avail 15% discount at Peabody Essex Museum
• 2-year complimentary subscription to Indus Business Journal
• $300 off on exclusive GMAT Course with Princeton Review

Final Press Relesase: NetSAP/SETU sponsored play

Post-play Press Release
Contact: Usha Govindarajulu, Producer
NetSAP-Boston
usha.govindarajulu@netsapboston.org

Subrata Das’ Rape, Regret, and Retribution at Arlington Center for the Arts
May 29-31, 2008

Stage Ensemble Theatre (SETU) and NetSAP-Boston presented the premiere of Subrata Das’ play, Rape, Regret and Retribution, an artistic rendition of a dark and twisted tale. The play was written and directed by Subrata Das and featured a cast of twelve South Asians. The production ran successfully for three consecutive nights at the Arlington Center for the Arts with approximately 180 persons in total attendance.

Set in early 1990s, the portrayal of a life-changing event is at the heart of this play that unfolds in the dream of the main character, Jiten, played by Michael (Bunty) Dwan, who gave a stellar performance as the demoralized character. While his wife (Malini Varadarajan) and parents (Vasundhra Ganju and Kishanlal Chakraborty) plead for him not to move to the big city, he leaves them behind and finds a friend (Gagan Mahan), to whom he confesses his past. Not long thereafter, he becomes the center of a horrible crime, the rape and death of a young girl, Meena (Meghna Singhal), destroying her parents (Jignasha Makwana and Indranil Sarkar) who later move after their lives are shattered. Jiten's time in jail with confession to the security guard (Harun Razith) and final trial by the president (Abishek Nagrath) and opposing lawyers (Tejbir Singh and Ajay Jain) eventually led to an ending that shocked the audience. The stage crew consisted of Pallavi Gupta, Ashish Gupta, Alok Asoor, Gagan Mahan, and Siva Shankar, who did an excellent job with stage, music, and lights.

The audience was captivated by the show and the acting abilities of the South Asian members of the cast/crew. Sheila Rajan commented, “The storyline was engaging and the acting was very professional. The play kept me captivated until the very last line!" The audience also had a chance to enjoy scrumptious Indian food provided by Punjab Restaurant or Arlington during the intermission. Overall, attendees enjoyed the experience, with an after-party at Bombay Club restaurant on the last night of the play, hosted by NetSAP-Boston.

The cast and crew are to be commended for their stamina through three consecutive show nights and almost four months of practice preceding the production. This was Subrata Das’s first written play that he directed under SETU, for which he has directed other plays. This was the fourth production for NetSAP-Boston, with Theatrics Chair, Usha Govindarajulu as producer. Tushneem Dharmagadda, NetSAP-Boston President noted, “Every year, NetSAP Boston's commitment towards theater and culture has been growing stronger and stronger....Rape Regret & Retribution is NetSAP's fourth successful production since launching the theatrics initiative in 2005. It has been a pleasure to support this initiative. We encourage all professionals to join us in this endeavor in promoting fine arts.”

Intensive NetSAP/Princeton Review GMAT Course - Starting June 7th

Intensive NetSAP/Princeton Review GMAT Course

One Week Left to Enroll!

---

Are you looking to score above a 700 on the GMAT? Thanks to the partnership between The Princeton Review and NetSAP-Boston, we are able to offer an exclusive GMAT program designed specifically for NetSAP members. This is an advanced version of The Princeton Review’s GMAT course. This course will be fast-paced and will focus on the most complex concepts tested on the GMAT. Course Schedule Test 1 – To be completed prior to Class 1 Class 1 – June 7th – 9:30am-12:00pm Class 2 – June 7th – 1:00pm- 3:30pm Test 2 – To be completed prior to Class 3 Class 3 – June 14th – 9:30am-12:00pm Class 4 – June 14th – 1:00pm- 3:30pm Test 3, 4, 5 – To be completed after to Class 4 (optional) ________________________________ Tuition: $575 (includes all materials and in-class tools) Due to the nature of this class The Princeton Review will need to verify the test taking abilities of each student. A score of 600 or higher on a previous GMAT exam will qualify a student for this class. If a student has never taken a GMAT exam, that student must demonstrate outstanding scholarship at a top undergraduate/graduate institution AND previous test taking expertise. Contact Sanjay Tamhane, Membership Chair, NetSAP-Boston at membership@netsapboston.org or Kyle J. Matis, Director of Marketing, Princeton Review at KyleM@Review.com or (617)-558-2828 to enroll.

"Rape, Regret & Retribution" - SETU/NetSAP Play - 29th - 31st May 2008

Press Release
Contact: Usha Govindarajulu, Producer
NetSAP-Boston
usha.govindarajulu@netsapboston.org

Subrata Das’ Rape, Regret, and Retribution at Arlington Center for the Arts
May 29-31, 2008

Stage Ensemble Theatre (SETU) and NetSAP-Boston will present the premiere of Subrata Das’ play, Rape, Regret and Retribution, an artistic rendition of a twisted tale. Written and directed by Subrata Das and featuring a cast of 12, the production runs for three consecutive nights from May 29 until the 31st at the Arlington Center for the Arts, 41 Foster Street, Arlington, MA.

Set in early 1990s, the portrayal and ramification of a life-changing event is at the heart of this play that unfolds in the main character's dream. The main character, Jiten, living a life of conflicted self-interests and lack of tradition, leaves his wife, Karuna, and family in a small village in India to move to a big city nearby, where he lives as he pleases. Not long thereafter, he becomes the center of a horrible crime, the rape and death of a young girl, Meena, destroying two families, the Banerjee and Mehta families, who come from completely different social strata. Jiten's ordeal thereafter and death sentence culminate the play, until ….

Subrata Das’s directing credits include co-directing Vijay Tendulkar's English play Kamala and directing Girish Karnad's Hayavadana.

Dates and Times
May 29, 30, and 31: 7:30 – 9:30 pm

Venue:
Arlington Center for the Arts, 41 Foster St, Arlington MA

Price
$8 NetSAP members, $12 Non-members

COMPLIMENTARY ENTRY FOR:
FIRST 15 PEOPLE to register for the Thursday, MAY 29th Show
FIRST 10 PEOPLE for the Friday, MAY 30th Show

COMPLIMENTARY AFTER-PARTY FOR ALL ATTENDEES on 31st MAY at 10pm:
OM BAR, 92 Winthrop St. Cambridge, MA 02138

Ticketing:
Purchase tickets at www.netsapboston.org/events/2008/setur3.html

For more information:
Netsap-Boston (http://www.netsapboston.org/), SETU (www.setu.us)


About Arlington Center for the Arts

The Arlington Center for the Arts was established as a community arts center in 1988 by a visionary group of artists, writers, musicians, and educators as a place where artists could share their work with the community through educational and outreach programs and also find studio space. For more information, visit http://www.acarts.org/ .

Thanks to Bulfinch Group for Sponsoring NetSAP Boston

A week ago Bulfinch Group signed up to become NetSAP Boston's Gold Sponsor. We'd like to thank them for supporting our organization and believing in our mission. These funds will go towards providing better professional events for our members, supporting our community and promoting culture, and art.


There are many benefits for becoming a NetSAP Boston sponsor. Each sponsorship level offers its own benefits and added value (details in our packet). Be it corporate branding, diversity initiatives, or job recruitment, our member demography is an ideal target that you can tap into. By becoming a sponsor of NetSAP Boston you will elevate the awareness of your organization within the South Asian community.

NetSAP Boston also offers corporate membership and partners with diversity groups within different companies thus extending their offering by providing more value to employees. Reach out to us for more details.

Tushneem Dharmagadda President 781-541-0346

Pallavi Chhabra Vice-President 706-338-9321

Member Updates and Benefits - More Reasons to Join NetSAP Boston!

The NetSAP team would like to update everyone on some recent events and also share information on several membership promotions and initiatives.

March was a very successful month, with several great events including the Acting 101 Theatrics Workshop and Rang de Holi celebration. Thanks in large part to the March Membership Mania promotion, 30 individuals joined the NetSAP membership community during March. NetSAP truly has a lot to offer its members, so it’s great to see that more and more people are seeing the value in signing up for NetSAP Boston membership.

To show our appreciation for our members, we also held a special, members-only dinner at Bombay Club. The dinner was well attended with over 70 attendees, many of whom were new members. The success of the dinner was a clear indication that we should host such an event in the future.

Membership Benefits

On the heels of the success of the March Membership Mania promotion, we have chosen to extend a membership promotion into April. Any individuals that sign up for membership between March 23^rd and April 25^th will be able to attend the Wine n Greet event on 4/25 for FREE. This is our way of giving new members the chance to reap the benefits of NetSAP right away.

In addition, thanks to our alliance partnerships, members can take advantage of discounted admission to two fantastic conferences coming up: MITCIO Conference and TiECON East:

• MITCIO Conference: NetSAP has a discount code set up - NetSAP2008 . People who sign up with this code have to show their NetSAP Membership card at the Conference registration check-in for validation. All NetSAP Members can sign up for a discounted price of $195. For more information on the conference, visit: www.mitcio.com

TiECON East: Members also get TiE Member prices at TiECON East. To register, call the TiE Office 781-272-3875. For more information on the conference, visit: www.tieconeast.org/

As always, there are a number of other great benefits to NetSAP Boston membership including:

• Discounts worth over $300 at NetSAP events throughout the year
• Access to Member-only events and preference at all NetSAP events
• $5 in referral benefit when you refer a new member to NetSAP Boston
• Membership valid at 22 NetIP/NetSAP chapters throughout the US and Canada
• Discounted access to 15+ NetSAP-Boston Alliance Partners
• Exclusive discounted access to the 17th Annual NetIP Conference in Boston.
• Avail 15% discount at Peabody Essex Museum
• 2-year complimentary subscription to Indus Business Journal
• $300 off on exclusive GMAT Course with Princeton Review

As some of you know, we have a NetSAP Boston group on Facebook. This is a great way to connect with other members and stay up-to-speed on NetSAP events, so we highly encourage you to join. To join, visit our group.

All March Events Free for 2008 Members...Become a Member Today!

NetSAP Boston is pleased to announce the return of March Membership Mania! To show our appreciation for the individuals that have signed up for membership in 2008, all of the events during March will be free for members.

During March, we will be hosting several great events, including a special members-only dinner at Bombay Club in Harvard Square on March 13th. In addition, we will be celebrating Holi on March 22^nd and will be hosting a financial workshop focused on taxes on March 27^th.

To learn more about upcoming events, visit: http://www.netsapboston.org/events

For those who have not signed up to be a 2008 NetSAP Boston member, join today to take advantage of our special membership offer during March

2008 promises to be a great year, filled with numerous exciting events, including the "17th Annual NetIP Conference" in Boston. NetSAP Boston membership also gives you:

• Access to member-only events, preference and discounts at all NetIP events
• Discounted access to events of 23 NetSAP Boston Alliance Partners
• Discounts at Museums, Professional coaching organizations and other vendors
• $5 referral bonus for each new member that you refer to NetSAP Boston

and more....

To sign up for membership or learn more about membership benefits, visit: http://www.netsapboston.org/join

Thanks,
Sanjay Tamhane
Membership & Marketing Chair, NetSAP Boston

Acting 101 Workshop: A Sucess !!

NetSAP-Boston partnered with SETU and SAATh to host an Acting 101 Workshop held on March 1, 2008 at the Arlington Center for the Arts. SETU and SAATh have been staging South Asian plays in Boston for over 6 years and a milestone was achieved by having these two groups come together to jointly put forth this workshop for NetSAP-Boston.

The workshop began with SAATh members, Bunty Singh and Irfan Malik, leading warmup exercises, starting with bhangra and leading into acting exercises. The warmups were lighthearted and highly interactive. This was followed up by SETU, lead by Subrata Das, who lead the rest of the workshop with additional warmup, practice exercises, and practice scenes, where each participant would go on stage and rehearse a short scene from one of their previously staged plays.

Everyone who came, including board members, participated in the workshop. It was highly interactive and enjoyable by all the participants. Manoshi Vin, a NetSAP board member, noted, "This was an amazing experience. For someone like me, who has never stepped a foot on stage before, this workshop was like a gateway into a whole new world." Giving this opportunity for beginner actors to learn some basics was the key to the workshop.

With the great success of this workshop, we sincerely hope to hold future acting workshops. For those who could not make it this time, please stay tuned in.

Usha Govindarajulu
NetSAP-Boston Theatrics/Cultural Chair

NetSAP and Vibha thank you for your contributions

NetSAP Boston (Network of South Asian Professionals) organized a Happy Hour at Stix Restaurant & Lounge in Boston, MA on Jan 24th 2008 to raise funds for Vibha Boston, an alliance partner and a non-profit organization, whose mission is to educate, empower and enable every individual who wishes to make a positive difference in the life of the underprivileged child. Over 70 people turned up to network and start the New Year by supporting a cause.

NetSAP Boston raised over $350 through contributions from all attendees. All the proceeds were donated to Vibha. NetSAP Boston and Vibha convey their gratitude to all those who contributed at the event. These funds will be used by Vibha to provide financial support to projects that provide children with their right to education, health and opportunity. You can view learn more about Vibha at their website http://boston.vibha.org or via email at coordinator@boston.vibha.org.

More pictures from the event will be posted on the NetSAP Boston website. Also look forward to seeing more Happy Hours in 2008 associated with a cause or a theme. Again, we thank you for making the first happy hour successful. We look forward to seeing you at a future NetSAP Boston event.

Clarification on Health Insurance Issues from Bone Marrow Drive at NetSAP Gala

Dear NetSAP Members & Patrons,

Some health insurance expense issues from the Bone Marrow Drive at the NetSAP Gala were brought to our notice recently. There have been some instances where people who provided their insurance information on the forms have been billed large amounts by the lab which conducted the marrow tests. In a couple of cases the insurance companies paid the bills and passed on a part of the payment to the volunteers as patient responsibility. This is not supposed to happen. You are not responsible for ANY payments for this test.

The Marrow drive at the NetSAP Boston Gala was organized for Savita (www.savesavita.org) by the Caitlin Raymond International Registry (www.crir.org). Unlike SAMAR with whom NetSAP Boston has worked with in the past and where you participated in drives, CRIR has a different process because of local laws. Read more about the insurance process here
www.savesavita.org/insurancerelatedinformation

If you participated in the Bone Marrow Drive at the Gala on November 17th, 2007 please make sure your health insurance has not charged you. If you notice any expense, please call Caitlin Registry at 800-726-2824 immediately and speak to Kim Ikenberry or Joanne Raymond. Caitlin Registry has promised to work with affected donors to resolve this issue and get their health insurance expense reverted. Read more here...

If you are not satisfied with the service of CRIR or still have issues, contact Tushneem Dharmagadda, President NetSAP Boston at tushneem.dharmagadda@netsapboston.org. NetSAP Boston will take up your issue with the registry.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you again for participating in the drive to save Savita at the NetSAP Gala.

Tushneem Dharmagadda
President, NetSAP Boston