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Maizy Swift, Production Editor & Asst. Social Media Editor

On Oct. 1, Beta Alpha Psi invited Amanda Sanseverino, Ph.D., professor of accounting at MU, to conduct a meditation session based on the “practice of presence” in De La Salle Hall.

This session was open to all Manhattan University students, and first introduced the practice of meditation, alongside the fundamentals of mindfulness, which can be used in one’s day-to-day life. 

Sanseverino had been interested in mindfulness from a young age, sharing how she randomly bought a book about Zen Buddhism, sparking her study of the practice.

“The first time I actually meditated was when I was 16 or 17 years old,” Sanseverino said. “I was walking around in Manhattan, and there was one of those stores with the incense burning and I walked in and picked up a book. I didn’t even know what it was, but it ended up being a book on Zen Buddhism…I just found myself really interested, so I started trying to meditate and since then, I have learned a lot more about what goes on with the mind, both intellectually and from external sources.” 

Sanseverino shared that since her passion for mediation and mindfulness began, they have become an important part of her daily life. Furthermore, Sanseverino felt that by sharing this practice, it could potentially help others use it in their own lives as well. 

“I think that a lot of people go about their lives thinking that this is just how it is, and even if intellectually they can step back know that that’s not true, a common experience is to think ‘I’m the type that gets stressed’, ‘I’m the type that gets anxious’ or ‘I’m a perfectionist,’” Sanseverino said. “And the takeaway is that it’s not just this way. This is one avenue for experiencing things differently in a way that serves you better.” 

  Since becoming a professor, Sanseverino has utilized the practice of mindfulness in her teaching style. She shared how mindfulness and meditation is a valuable tool that she hopes students can use within their daily life, during stressful or difficult times.

“Even if somebody doesn’t develop a consistent meditation practice or mindfulness practice, maybe there will be a day three years later when someone’s experiencing heavy loss or there’s something very challenging, and the skills will be valuable,” Sanseverino said. 

The president of Beta Alpha Psi, Andrew Berg, a senior finance and accounting double-major, spoke about why he felt this was an important collaboration for the organization to hold.

“I think it [meditating] helps with alleviating a lot of our academic and mental stress, especially since we have so many things going on,” Berg said. “It gives us the opportunity to be more mindful and to really take a good, needed break, and really focus on ways that we can reduce stress and come together as a community.” 

For Berg, the biggest takeaway from what Sanseverino shared was not only how to meditate, but also how to truly enjoy living life in the present moment. 

“I valued her [Sanseverino] emphasizing being in the present moment, because I feel like a lot of us, especially me, are always thinking about ‘oh, what event do I have next?’, or ‘what will the rest of my week look like?’, but I feel like it was a nice six or seven minutes just trying not to think about anything else and just really absorbing all of my senses around me during that time,” Berg said. “I feel like that definitely reduced a lot of my worries for the day.”

Tri Pham, a sophomore economics and finance double-major and also a member of Beta Alpha Psi, shared how Sanseverino’s teaching style is what made the event seem interesting. 

“I had a couple classes with Dr. Sanseverino, and I just really loved her presence and I always wondered how she became who she is,” Pham said. 

Pham also shared how he believes there are many stereotypes around the practice of meditation. He emphasized how Sanseverino’s story helped to show that anyone from any background can take part in this practice, as she is someone who comes from the world of business and accounting. 

“She [Sanseverino] caught me pretty off- guard when I found out she was hosting this mindfulness event, because it’s not something that I would associate her with, especially as a professor of accounting in a business school,” Pham said. “You would think maybe an English professor would host, as business people are so numbers-focused, so she really changed my perspective. I’m just really interested in what she has to share.” 

Beta Alpha Psi plans to host two more events with Sanseverino that will include an introduction to meditation, along with a 15-minute meditation session which will be held on Oct. 16 and 17  at 10 a.m.