Diwali Night

Diversity is one of the things that the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is known for. Associations like International MBA, Asian MBA, Latin MBA, Black MBA and Jewish MBA are proof of this diversity. Dancing on Latin tunes, introducing international students to challah at Shabbat Shindig and celebrating the festival of lights-Diwali are few of the many ways Smith Students celebrate diversity.

The International MBA Association organizes one of the most celebrated nights at Smith. It is a night of lights, laughter and luscious food. The Diwali Night, celebrated on 10^th November this year. Diwali signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil and hope over despair. Talking of victory of light over darkness, DMD second midterm was on the same day. #JustSaying

The lineup for the events this year was an introductory video followed by singing and dance performances and a fashion show. Smith discovered four singing stars this year. The first singing performance was an indie rock song by Sandeep Iyer. Following the applause was Rahul Rathore who sang a medley of soft rock songs. The most surprising performance was a duet with Manu and Prachi. Surprising because our ever shy friend Manu was setting the stage on fire with his singing abilities.

There were three dance performances as well. The first team was IMBAA board member Viplove’s team, accompanying him were Martha Roskwitalska, JJ Dave, Will Woska, Brenna Cole, and Sandeep Iyer. Their dance on eclectic Bollywood songs definitely set a very high bar for the performances to come.

Enter Baanie’s team with Nour Bouadis, Sho Kiryu, Jose Eleta, Sudiv Divakar, and Sean Gilson. A power pack performance with overflowing energy reinforced the North Indian warrior spirit. Kudos to Nour to have performed a classical Indian segment with Baanie.

Cut to IMBAA members Tanay Natarajan, Shejhar Razdan, Sreejith Manghat, Achal Bhushan, and my team. Adding glory to our team were Zane Adoum, Porter Brockay, Greg Lewis, and Tripp Gavin. Practicing with these guys was so much fun, mainly because their Bollywood thumkas (moves) put us to shame :P. Our dance was with a prop- Sunglasses. This was for the top chart of 2016- Kala Chasma (black sunglasses). Just to add some cool quotient and swag.

Post the dancing and singing, a typical event at most Indian gatherings, all the performers walked to ramp and showcased their style quotient. Classmates from all over the world embraced the performances and the fashion show. Seeing them in colorful traditional Indian clothes gave me a sense of respect that is difficult to explain.

The night rocked not because of just the performances but also the beautiful Diwali ambience created by the second-year IMBAA board members and the wide array of food. Food, SO much Food, there were so many curries and biryani and if that was not enough there were so many samosas and dessert options. Calling the food just scrumptious would be an understatement. It was soooo good. #slurpslurp

Thanks to the Diwali night preparations, I could see a different shade of my classmates personality and build a stronger bond with them. Events like this remind me why it is awesome to be a Terp at Smith. I love Smith for everything.

Can’t wait for the next Diwali night.

Go Terps!