Indopak and MSA showcase two important South Asian festivals

By Rashi Saxena

Irvington High School’s Indopak Club and Muslim Student Association joined forces to put on the annual Diwali/Eid Showcase on November 15, 2013. The showcase highlights two important Hindu and Muslim festivals, Diwali and Eid respectively, providing students with an opportunity to learn more about these religious festivals.

The showcase consisted of three different parts. First, the officers of each club gave a presentation about their respective festival, explaining the religious significance and cultural events associated with each. Afterwards, students looked around at the various tables. Each table contained a unique aspect from each culture. Tables showcased various ethnic clothing, decorations, and the languages Hindi and Urdu. Towards the end of the period, officers from Indopak taught the classes a short dance. Students could then perform the dance for extra credit offered by various teachers, including Spanish teacher Mr. Ballado and Physics teacher Mr. Fung.

“I enjoyed volunteering at the showcase this year,” said Urbana Oishy, a freshman volunteer from MSA. “It was a great experience to see so many people interested in it.”

This year, the showcase also consisted of a variety of new booths, adding to what students could explore. The entrance of the library contained a makeshift photo-booth for students to take pictures. In addition, MSA volunteers brought traditional pieces of cloth to tie turbans (traditional Muslim wear) on students and teachers.

“I think having the Diwali and Eid showcase is important because although the entire school has a basic idea of what Diwali and Eid are, it’s nice to see people come in and ask questions about the Indian and Pakistani culture and see things such as the clothing and decorations firsthand,” said senior Sonakshi Maheshwari, Vice President of Indopak, talking about the importance of having cultural showcases. “It’s a great feeling when we can all come together and celebrate an event that means a lot to us along with the people who don’t know much about it.”
“The seed of hatred is ignorance,” said senior Mariam Syeda-Quadri, president of MSA. “I am very grateful for Irvington’s diversity and events that promote cultural understanding like the Eid and Diwali showcase. This is what makes students here more accepting of all the different groups of people in the world.”