Members of Hinsdale Central High School's South Asian Student Union represent a diverse collection of cultures, religions and backgrounds, all originating from the same area of the world. Leaders of the student-driven group include (front row) Sabil Musabji, Samrah Syed, Shreemann Patel, (second row) Sameea Patel, Zaara Singh, (third row) Eeshan Lal and Myra Dhillzou. (Jim Slonoff photo)
As the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, Samrah Syed said she thought she knew quite a bit about her family's culture. As president of the South Asian Student Union at Hinsdale Central High School, she is learning just how much more there is to know.
Like many members of SASU, Syed recently participated in the club's First Days Project, which aims to collect stories of immigrants' first few days in the United States. Syed interviewed her father, who traveled to the United States in 1992 with Syed's pregnant mother and little else.
"I had never heard those stories before," Syed said.
"I've always been very connected to my culture," said Syed, who speaks her parents' first language, Urdu, at home. SASU, she said, is making that connection even stronger while also teaching her about the other cultures that shape south Asia.
Club sponsor Sanskruti Patel said the club's goal to share the culture of south Asia extends beyond club members to include the student body and even the general public. With more than 60 members, SASU includes students from many south Asian cultures, as well as some with no connection to that part of the world. Members meet each Monday to work on projects, share information, and plan events like the second annual garba celebration, to be held in the Hinsdale Central fieldhouse from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18.
"Garba is a form of dance," said club vice president and Hinsdale Central senior Shreemann Patel. Performed in a circle, the dance originated as a celebration of the female goddesses of Hinduism.
Along with dancing, the Oct. 18 celebration will include traditional Indian foods, dress, decorations and henna artists. As someone familiar with garba and the surrounding celebration, Patel said he's been closely involved with planning the event. He said guests are welcome to watch - or join in on the dancing.
"You catch on as you do it," he said.
Last year's inaugural celebration drew about 200 guests, said Patel, who hopes to see an even larger crowd this time.
"They can expect a ton of fun," he said.
While the current club formed while Syed and Patel were freshman, club sponsor Sanskruti Patel said several iterations of the group have existed during her 20 years at Hinsdale Central. The current club, she said, is strong both in numbers and in the commitment of its members.
"I think this is the strongest direction and vision for what the club wants to do," she said.
What the club wants to do is provide a place for students who share connections to or an interest in that part of the world to come together, celebrate their own cultures and learn about one another's.
"We're trying to incorporate as many cultures as we can," Syed said.
While a shared background is what drew Syed to the group, she has found an unexpectedly wide diversity within its membership, which includes students from many religious and cultural backgrounds.
Later this school year, she and other members of the club hope to organize an event in coordination with the school's Muslim Student Alliance.
For both Patel and Syed, the chance to share their culture with others is what they enjoy most about being part of SASU.
"We're very much about inviting others into it," Syed said.
Admission to the club's garba celebration is free for students with a valid ID and for children in the community. Adult admission is $5, available at the door or at https://omella.com/50swe.
- by Sandy Illian Bosch
