South Asian Student Association (SASA) began planning for Diwali Night at the beginning of the semester. Photo by Elizabeth Stevenson.
DOROTHY LAKSHMANAMURTHY | STAFF REPORTER | dlakshmanamurthy@butler.edu
Even though the five-day Diwali holiday — celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains — technically concluded on Nov. 1, Butler’s South Asian Student Association (SASA) extended the celebration for a one-night Diwali event on Friday, Nov. 18.
Students of all backgrounds were invited to learn about the significance of the holiday, eat Indian food, watch traditional Indian dances, paint diyas — clay candle holders —, design their own Henna tattoos and partake in an end-of-the-night sparkler lighting.
Chad Bauman, professor of religious studies and international studies, kicked off the night with his presentation on the meaning of Diwali, which is also known as the Festival of Lights.
His speech highlighted the versatility of the holiday, as various representations of Diwali are dispersed throughout South Asia based on the god people choose to worship. However, Diwali holds a universal message of good triumphing over evil and new beginnings.
Intrigued by the importance of the holiday and the South Asian culture, Nyle Beauford, a junior biology and chemistry double major, is grateful he showed up for the event despite only initially showing up to support his friend in SASA, junior pharmacy major Raj Kadakia.
“It was interesting to hear about the different perspectives of the holiday,” Beauford said. “I think it is good to learn about other cultures, but it is even cooler to be here and actually experience it — like eating traditional food, which is absolutely delicious.”
For dinner, SASA served a plethora of foods: biryani, white rice, tofu masala, vegetable raita, garlic naan and an Indian dessert donut, gulab jamun.
After guests finished their meals, SASA performed dances they had practiced since September. These dances not only included SASA members but also past event attendees who reached out to the club asking if they could join in on the routines.
Sisodia Dhruvi, co-vice president of SASA events and a junior biology and public health double major, was excited that more people wanted to participate in the group’s traditional dancing, as it reinforced the overall purpose of the event.
“The biggest goal is to educate and share our culture,” Dhruvi said. “The fact that people loved our dance performances so much that they wanted to be a part of it lets us share our culture even more. It also just makes me happy to see because a part of SASA is tackling any negative or unsure perceptions people might have about our culture. By holding these positive events that celebrate our community, we do just that.”
Junior biology major Mia Mroueh, a chairperson for the Diversity Program Council, also notes that these events can help to cultivate educational opportunities at a predominantly white institution.
“Having these events is so important to the underrepresented identities on our campus,” Mroueh said. “It is nice to see the support they receive from students with a variety of backgrounds showing up to learn and embrace the culture.”
The planning for SASA’s Diwali Night began at the beginning of the semester and ran through the start of November leading up to the event. At these meetings, the SASA executive board discussed the event’s logistics: date, time, food orders, seating arrangements and activities.
For Zaina Baig, SASA’s first-year chair and a biochemistry major, being a part of the planning was special because it was something she had always wanted to be involved in since high school.
“My high school was not diverse at all,” Baig said. “They did not have any organizations like SASA or events like this Diwali Night. That is why I knew the moment I came here to Butler, I would join SASA. I am now able to do things I was not able to do before, and it is so fulfilling to be a part of spreading diversity.”
Following the night’s Henna tattoos and diya paintings, SASA’s festival of lights celebration ended on a bright note as students waved their assorted colored sparklers outside on Hampton Drive.
