Members of the South Asian Student Association performed several traditional dances at the Diwali celebration. Photo by Mason Buysse. 

KATE NORROD | STAFF REPORTER | knorrod@butler.edu

The South Asian Student Association (SASA) hosted a Diwali celebration event on Oct. 29. The event involved a meal, an educational presentation and other Diwali traditions such as diya painting and dancing. 

SASA is an organization within the Efroymson Diversity Center (DC). They host a variety of events open to the whole campus, most recently including their annual Diwali celebration. 

Eiman Toor, SASA co-president and senior criminology and psychology combined major, has been involved with SASA since her first year. 

Toor explained SASA’s overall goals as an organization is to create a space for South Asian students to come together, share their culture and educate their fellow students.

“We try to host events that are open to everyone, but [SASA] is also just a chance for South Asians, to get together and have a place to hang out, but it’s also to educate everyone that’s on campus,” Toor said. “Being mostly a [primarily white institution], our goal is to invite everyone, let them know what SASA is about and what our cultures consist of, what our celebrations are and what our holidays are.” 

The night began with a traditional meal served by volunteers. After the line of dozens of people died down, a concise informational lecture on the history and meaning of Diwali was given. 

Chad Bauman, a professor of religious studies and international studies, gave the presentation. He has been the faculty advisor to SASA for 20 years. He noted the Diwali event as a particular favorite among the students. 

“There [are] a lot of students on campus who love Indian food and who love to come out and see the festivities, ceremonies, colors and experience the energy of these events,” Bauman said. 

Rabya Mohsin, a first-year neuroscience major and co-first-year chair of SASA, does not celebrate Diwali herself, but enjoyed participating in the larger celebration.

“At the event, everyone’s super upbeat and super into it, and [overall] interested in learning about Diwali,” Mohsin said. 

The event was also attended by students outside of SASA. Lacey Stanford, a sophomore race, gender and sexuality studies and criminology and psychology combined double major, had never attended a SASA event before the Diwali celebration. 

“Butler benefits [from events like this] by having people learn cultures outside of their own [to] understand the community and other people around them,” Stanford said. 

Toor attributed the opportunity for SASA to spread South Asian culture around Butler’s campus and promote education to non-South Asian students to the DC. 

“I feel like [cultural events like this] really opens up the opportunity for other students to kind of learn more about our culture, as well as for them to appreciate our culture, as well as for us to appreciate theirs,” Toor said. “I feel like we really wanted [students] to see what the DC, not just SASA, is all about.”

SASA will be hosting more events open to all students next semester, including a mock Shaadi and Holi Festival.