The Asian Culture Club hosted a Diwali event on October 21, marking the first time our high school has celebrated Indian culture. During the three-hour event, students from both the high school and middle school, teachers, and parents had the chance to mingle, eat Indian snacks, watch the Bollywood blockbuster Baahubali: The Beginning, and enjoy lighting sparklers at the end.
Due to the low population of Indians in Highland Park, there was never an event to showcase Indian culture and celebrate its festivals. Only 21.8 percent of Highland Park High School’s population is Asian. The Indian population within that population is even smaller. This year, Asian Culture Club officer Siya Verma pushed for an event to celebrate Diwali. According to Siya, “Asian Culture Club does lots of Chinese events, and there is not that much diversity, so I really wanted to do something to represent other parts of Asia, like India. Diwali is a very big holiday, and we have Indian students as well.”
People from all cultures in Highland Park were welcome at this event. Opinions on the turnout of the event, however, vary. Siya says, “To be honest, it was better than I thought. I didn’t think many people would show up because I felt like it wasn’t as well-planned as I thought it could be.” However, the turnout could have been better according to Ms. Yang, the advisor of Asian Culture Club: “I am disappointed that less people showed up. If they actually show up, they would have a great time. I think you all really enjoyed the sparklers at the end.”
The attendees seemed to agree more with Siya on the success of the event. Sophomore Emma Pan said, “I thought it was a very fascinating event. It was really fun to learn about the culture and the holiday that I never celebrated before, and I thought it was a really great opportunity for students to like learn about it and to experience it.”
As for future events to represent Indian culture, Siya says, “I am hoping for an event in January soon for Lohri and absolutely for Holi.” Overall, the Diwali event was a great start to Indian representation at HPHS, though greater attendance at future events would bring the school a step closer to better embracing the Indian community.