Festival Showcases South Asia

But every booth in the Great Hall on Friday gave students a hands-on perspective on South Asian life as an information fair and dance performance colorfully celebrated world cultures.

Sangam, a campus organization devoted to South Asian awareness, transformed the Great Hall into a window to the South Asian world twice for the activities, which ended the events of Masala Week.

During the afternoon, organizers set up booths for Namaste, a word used as a greeting in the Hindi language.

The information fair included booths on palm reading, South Asian history and Mehndi, a form of body art that uses henna to create elaborate patterns.

Organizer Fauzia Tariq, a freshman, said the event gave visitors a taste of South Asia and its food, such as fried samosas or dhoklas, a type of steamed bread. "The close and interactive atmosphere really gives people a chance for one-on-one interaction," she said.

"We cooked for 250 people, so we're hoping people will eat a little, learn a little and do a little at each booth."

Later in the evening, Rang-e-mela, which means "festival of colors," showcased campus dance groups such as Mezmerhythm, Old School Bhangra and Oasis.

Ticket proceeds and canned goods collected at the door will be donated to the Inter-Faith Council homeless shelter on Rosemary Street, organizers said.

Some performers said the spicy mix of dance styles in the show gave the audience a sense of each culture's flavor.

"It's good for people to see what all the different backgrounds have to offer," said Ashesh Parikh, a sophomore biology major from Tennessee who danced with Old School Bhangra.

"When lots of ethnic cultures get together in one place, you really get a taste of everything."

Annabelle Pereira, a freshman business and political science major from Charlotte, said the blend of ethnic groups in the show drew her to the events.

"I'm part Indian, so it's neat to come out and see what other students are doing," she said.

"And I love Indian food, so that was a draw too."

Sangam President Sachin Patel said cultural understanding is at the heart of the group's goals.

"Sangam is committed to educating the UNC campus about South Asian culture and in turn improving the intellectual climate (on campus)," he said.

"By bringing together the colors of campus, we want to show people groups they might not have seen before."

Patel said the response to the events was a positive one. "I'm happy the campus supports this type of diversity program and that people seem really interested in learning about other cultures," he said.

Overall, Pereira said she thought activities like Namaste and Rang-e-mela help boost tolerance of diversity on campus.

"I think the more that different groups can share their culture, the greater our understanding of other students and their backgrounds will be."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.