The Chicago Maroon
By Pamela Appea
The South Asian Students Association (SASA) will be holding its tenth annual cultural show this Saturday, April 5. The show, to be held in Mandel Hall from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., will feature South Asian classical and modern instrumental music, vocal performance, Indian dance, poetry, and a fashion show.
“I’ve gone to the show all four years, and its gotten better every year,” said fourth-year student Rob Abraham. “My first year, maybe a couple of hundred people came [to the show] and last year, maybe more than 1,000 people attended,” he said.
Neil Gupta, president of SASA and a fourth-year student in the College, said he hoped “people will come out to the cultural show and enjoy and learn about South Asian culture, and furthermore, the diversity within South Asian culture.”
“Our main goal is to promote diversity,” said Seema Dhar, a third-year student in the College and Director of Group Affairs for SASA. Dhar also emphasized that the cultural show has always attempted to include a variety of South Asian art forms in dance, music, and costume.
Last year, among other acts, the SASA show featured Hindi classical singing, humorous student skits, and the U of C East
For the second year in a row, tickets were sold out the day they went on sale. At the cost of ten dollars a ticket for students and $15 for community and faculty members, tickets also entitle the students to a catered multi-course feast of South Asian cuisine before the show.
“Planning for the [cultural] show has been going on since this summer,” said show director and SASA Entertainment Chair Sakina Shikari.
The show is made possible by a collaborative effort involving over 150 U of C students, parents, community residents, and Hyde Park businesses and corporations. Student Government funding and ticket sales also contribute to financing the cultural show.
“[The cultural show presents] a chance for people who normally don’t have a chance to perform,” said second-year student Sheetal Patel, a choreographer and music director for the show. It also provides them with the opportunity to “learn new South Asian art forms.”
Originally published April 4, 1997
