By Hanifah Jones, Digital Editor
The Asian Cultural Association (ACA) treated Susquehanna to a night of music, food and dancing in celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights on Nov 9.
Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists across the world, including South Asian countries such as India and Nepal. The five-day celebration commemorates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil.
Many people in attendance of the festival were wearing traditional South Asian outfits.
The dimly lit room was adorned with twinkling lights, flowers and decorations handmade by members of ACA. There were projections of Bollywood music videos, treating the guests to both Asian cinema and music.
Each table had a candlelit centerpiece as well as a flyer detailing the traditions of Diwali for those who were not familiar with the holiday.
According to ACA’s president Anne Loeliger, the group has been hosting a Diwali celebration since it was reinstated as a club on campus about three years ago.
Loeliger expressed the importance of having a Diwali celebration on campus.
“There are many students here who are used to celebrating this holiday with their family, who are unable to go home because it is too far away,” Loeliger said.
“There are no local locations that they can join in on the celebration, which is why Nirvana [Thakur] made sure to bring it back three years ago,” Loeliger continued.
“Another important reason is that it is a great chance for cultural exposure for those who did not have a lot of diversity back home,” Loeliger said. “They can experience new food and culture, for free, in a safe and welcoming environment.”
For senior Veneranda Bautista, the Diwali celebration was her first experience with South Asian culture. “It was my first time trying Indian food, so I was very excited,” Bautista said.
“Everything from the music to the decorations and the short speech on the Diwali tradition was exceptional. I could tell that ACA took their time planning out this event which I appreciated,” she continued.
According to ACA Treasurer Thomas Tang, the Diwali celebration was diligently planned. “This took months in advance to plan and required coordination from different people,” Tang said.
“It took a lot of work, a lot of last-minute changes,” Jessica Leyder said, the organization’s member liaison.
“We got a good amount of money from the school which is really nice because I think we need to promote diversity more at this school,” Leyder said.
Guests were treated to an assortment of refreshments including sweet mango lassi, a blended drink of mango, yogurt and cardamom.
For dinner, there was a spread of biriyani, chickpeas, pakora and other traditional foods.
The family of ACA secretary Sana Ahmed provided the food. Seniors Phoebe Kurien and Aris Concepcion also prepared food for the celebration.
“It was great, we had the night before and day of the event making these dishes, some of which I didn’t know how to make,” Concepcion said.
“There were students of different backgrounds and we all [came together], learning how to make these different dishes,” Concepcion continued. “It brought a lot of people together. It isn’t our culture, but we had the great opportunity to feel as if we were a part of it.”
The night concluded with dancing, performed by Ahmed and her cousins.
“My favorite part this year was the dancing,” Loeliger said. “About twenty people tried it.” “You could feel the positive energy and sense of celebration as we were dancing, and it felt like the holiday came together in that moment.”
The ACA is open for all students to join and learn about Asian culture and gain insight about food, holidays and language. The club meets at 8 p.m. on Thursdays in Fisher Room 317.