While some people spent this past Saturday catching up on homework and sleeping in, others embraced a new culture at India Night.
The event was held in Gardner Hall and showcased different aspects of Indian culture, including music and performances from Indian dance and cinema. Divya Bharat, a graduate student in nutrition and the vice president of the Indian Student Association, said this year’s theme centered around the Hindi word “tarang,” which means “waves.”
“We picked it because we want it to represent the Indian culture,” Bharat said. “Waves approaching from Indian culture are approaching the U in a metaphorical sense and we’re really proud of that.”
India Night is an annual event and is usually held on the first weekend of April. While it doesn’t go hand in hand with the Indian calendar, it has other symbolic relations, mainly with Indian New Year, Bharat said.
Bharat said India Night is one of the ways students can get involved with the association. The organization currently has 12 members, but India night was largely made possible due to volunteers and graduate students from India.
Ailien Luu, a junior in nursing, said holding events like India Night intrigue students and connect them to different cultures and experiences.
“Our population of students is so diverse so it is interesting to learn about our peers,” Luu said. “It makes the U campus feel more like a family when we have events like these.”
@JulianneSkrivan