The cultural celebration of Garba Night

2–3 minutes

AHS hosts Indian events, giving students an opportunity to share their culture

Staff Writer

On Friday, October 18th, AHS Indian Student Association (ISA) and AHS Nritya, one of American’s Indian dance clubs, took the initiative to plan AHS’s third annual Garba Night, a long-awaited event among the Indian community at American. With over 350 people in attendance, the event started with a traditional Indian garba dance and ended with a lively mosh pit.

“Garba Night went really well. The decorations, food, and music all came together nicely to represent Indian culture,” said the president of AHS Nritya, Manya Aggarwal (11). “Garba is a traditional Indian dance done during the festive season of Navratri, usually during October and November. People dress up and come together to have a good time,” said Mohini Chahal (12), the president of ISA. Although organizers aimed to host the event in the gym, they were unfortunately unable to do so and settled for the MPR.

Underclassmen were especially enthusiastic for Garba Night. “I’m really excited. Having Indian events at American is a way to stay in touch with our roots. Dancing like Garba, Bhangra, and Dandiya has always been a big part of our culture,” said Adish Joshi (10). “Having Garba Night can either teach Indians what Indian culture is all about or it can help people who used to dance connect back to a hobby.”

Executive officers of both AHS ISA and AHS Nritya recognized what could have been improved from previous Garba Nights. “Last year, we exceeded our capacity in the MPR so we’re hoping to improve that,” said Chahal. Although the planners were hoping to downsize the event, AHS Garba Night was still accessible to everyone, meaning that students from different FUSD schools were able to attend. “I want garba to be a way for the Indian community and other cultures to come together at our school. I’ve seen so many people who aren’t Indian come to our school for garba and that is so exciting.” However, there were also areas of improvement for this year. “We had popular food like samosas and lassi, but unfortunately did not have enough for everyone. It also would have been fun if we incorporated more activities like dandiya,” Aggarwal commented.

“ISA’s goal is ultimately to educate students about Indian festivals and events. An event I really hope to do this year is Holi,” said Chahal. For students, Garba Night has been proven to be more than just a school event. Recognizing cultural traditions and festivals in meaningful ways allow school communities to embrace their heritage. “It’s the small things that matter. Having events like these helps students take pride in their culture,” said Joshi.