South Asian students honor their culture
South Asian students are sharing their culture after a performance held by the South Asian Student Association Friday night.
An abundance of sequins, singing and samosas characterized SASA’s 16th annual culture show, “I Dream of South Asia”, on Friday night.
Held in the Glenn Miller Ballroom, the show featured singing and dancing to an array of songs, from more traditional Nepalese love songs to Bollywood hits. During intermission, audience members had a chance to try typical South Asian dishes including rice pudding and samosas, which are pastries filled with cheese and potatoes.
More than just a night of free food and entertainment however, SASA’s culture show was an event meant to unify the South Asian community as well as spread awareness and understanding about the cultures of South Asia.
“The event is really a way to showcase and promote our diversity on campus,” Shail Mehta, a senior political science major and president of SASA said. “I’m really proud of the way it turned out.”
The songs and dances were drawn from the cultures of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka and aimed to also showcase the many religions and languages in the region. Mehta said the group tried to fuse modern, classical, traditional and American music throughout the show. The performers’ costumes also varied, from colorful saris to jeans and sparkling belts.
A record 900 people attended this year’s show, Rashmi Rajan, a junior psychology major and secretary of SASA said. Audience members, a diverse collection of performers’ family members, community members and students, trickled into the overcrowded room almost until intermission.
Rajan said the group actually did less advertising this year compared to previous years. Instead, she said, information about the event spread by word of mouth.
Audience member Suraiya Syed, a law student at the University of Denver, said she thought the show was well-attended because it has become so well-known in the community over the years.
For the South Asian community, the event was an opportunity to come together and celebrate their culture.
“For members of a minority culture it is important for them to see what their culture represents,” Syed said. “There aren’t that many of us and so these kinds of events really enforce the sense of community.”
Freshman journalism student and SASA board member Sheila Kumar expressed a similar opinion of the event.
“South Asians are a significant population but we’re all spread out,” Kumar said. “This event really acknowledged that we are a presence on campus.”
Audience members were familiar with many of the songs and dances, and got involved by singing along to Indian and Pakistani pop songs and clapping to the beat for dancers.
All of those on stage were from CU-Boulder or CU-Denver, Kumar said.
For those who may not be very familiar with South Asian culture, Mehta said she hopes the event enriched their knowledge.
“I hope that people walk away with a sense of understanding of how broad the culture is,” she said. “It’s not a one-genre culture.”
Sophomore Spanish and pre-education major Christina Reams said she was very impressed with the show.
“The energy in the room was awesome and I loved the mix between modern and traditional,” Reams said. “I wish I belonged to a culture like this.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Emery Cowan at Emery.cowan@colorado.edu.
