On Nov. 14, students gathered around the great lawn at lunch to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights that symbolizes light over darkness and good over evil. The event was hosted by the Oak Park High School Hindu Youth for Unity, Virtues and Action (YUVA) Club.
“The atmosphere was definitely exciting,” senior Yana Seedhar wrote to the Talon. “It was super fun getting to see all the hard work our club members put into planning this celebration.”
The festivities included various activities that not only provided an immerseful experience of Indian culture, but also educated students about the origins of Diwali.
“We had tons of activities such as a henna booth done by parent volunteers,” Seedhar wrote. “We also had food including samosas, jalebi, pani puri and pakoras catered from local indian restaurants. We even had an information booth where students could learn about the origins of diwali, as well as cultural music playing throughout the event.”
But such a big event requires a lot of planning behind the scenes. The event relied on volunteers, administration and the South Asian community to bring it to life.
“We began planning with the administration. The office staff were so supportive, especially Mrs. Di Camillo,” OPHS Hindu YUVA president Nidhi Dhunaka said. “After we got paperwork and logistics out of the way, we turned to the wonderful South Asian community here in Oak Park for help with everything, from setting up to doing mehendi/henna. So many people brought in decorations and gave their time volunteering for the event.”
The event brought in not just the South Asian student population but other peers as well as administration.
“Pretty much everyone was there–students, teachers, parents, campus supervisors and people from the district office all came to hang out with us and celebrate,” Seedhar wrote. “We even got the Sloans in the dance circle.”
As Diwali continues to bring people together, there were moments of celebration, unity and joy as the school bonded over the food and traditions of this festival.
“This event really brought people together,” senior Navya Sreeraj said. “I think it was a good opportunity to share our culture with the school and I hope that we were able to make others feel welcome in celebrating this festival with us.”
