Diwali: Round 4
I know that a bunch of us seniors are writing about how it’s our last time to do such-and-such, and it may be kind of sad to read about. But seriously people: when you’ve done something for 4 years straight, it’s really hard to come to terms with it ending! Such is the case with my Diwali experiences!
“What is Diwali?” you may ask? Well, it is a Hindu festival that Masala-SACE (the South Asian Cultural Exchange on campus) uses as a reason to put on the largest multicultural show on campus! It is open for ALL students on campus to participate in and watch, and we have sold out every year I’ve been a part of it! It consists of several student-choreographed, Indian-inspired dances, and they require no previous experience to get involved.
As a senior, I was privileged to be one of 6 emcees for the show. Traditionally, these 6 seniors put on a running skit throughout the entire show that follows a theme (like a show or movie) and creatively introduces each act. This year’s theme was The Proposal, after the movie with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock, and my other emcees and I were hard at work for about 2 month getting everything together. This responsibility + practicing for Senior Dance (the dance I was in!) + the busy life of a Vanderbilt student meant that the months leading up to the show were exhausting but SO much fun.
Diwali at Vanderbilt is definitely one of my favorite annual traditions, and I’m definitely going to miss the late nights and inside jokes that result every year. All of my suite mates (which include fellow bloggers Caitlyn and Victoria!) participated this year, so it was a great avenue for suite bonding time. Diwali is what really brought me and one of my current suite mates, Shilpa, together our freshman year! Now if that’s not a success story for extracurricular involvement, I don’t know what is.
