As president of the South Asian Students’ Society (Sass) at the University of Sussex, I was particularly excited about One World Week in March. Every year, Sass organises a big celebration of Holi, the Hindu festival of spring, and this year we timed it to coincide with One World Week. Holi is such a fun event - everyone gets together to celebrate the end of winter with music, food and lots of powder paint!
We’ve had a Holi event at Sussex for a few years now, and every year it gets bigger. It’s quite something to see the whole of Library Square filled with hundreds of rainbow-splattered students enjoying the sunshine. We organise Holi as a way of sharing our culture with other students at Sussex, so that people can get a taste of India in a fun way. Even though India is popularly known for its Bollywood films, there is much more to discover. Sass events are a great way for students to get a better understanding of India’s diversity.
Over 800 Sussex students came to Holi this year – it was one of the most popular events of One World Week. There was a lot to organise, but luckily the student union and the team from international student support were there to help. We even had to do a last-minute run out to get extra paint when we found out how many people were coming.
Every member of Sass worked hard to make Holi a success, creating a “home away from home” feeling for themselves, and a fun celebration for everyone. For us, Holi holds an emotional and spiritual meaning, because it’s a day we celebrate with friends and family back home.
We hold events all year, including a big Diwali song and dance show with an Indian dinner, and regular Bollywood movie nights. Sass has members from all over South Asia, as well as UK Asians and other students; we’re open to everyone. Sass aims to promote South Asian culture, festivals and traditions to the wider global community at Sussex. I joined it as a way of making more friends and have been president for three years now. It’s taught me so much, like how to work with different groups of people and organise events.
As an international student, I have come to learn that culture shock works both ways. I may be surprised at the British lifestyle and culture, but UK students get equally surprised when I tell them I still live with my parents back home. And the minute you realise that, it gets much easier to drop your inhibitions and lose the fear of being “accepted” all the time. One World Week is a wonderful opportunity to get a better understanding of other cultures – something I think is an essential part of university life.
I’m in my final year of a media practice BA degree, and finishing up my last projects: a dissertation and a documentary film. I’ve learned so much, and not just academically. Had I not moved to the UK, I would never have been able to understand what it truly means to stand on your own two feet. Sussex taught me that growth is an ongoing process that must never end. Personal freedom is easily accessible, it is only when you gain independence that you truly grow within yourself and your surroundings, becoming comfortable in your own skin.
