LHS hosted its third annual Diwali festival on Nov. 3. The event was planned by LHS’s AAPISU (Asian American Pacific Islander Student Union) and LOHS’s ASU (Asian Student Union), and sponsored by LO for LOve, an organization promoting diversity, inclusion and equity for all LO community members.
The Hindu celebration was held at the LHS cafeteria, open to all members of the local community. Arts and crafts were set up for younger kids, and there were multiple vendors selling jewelry and food. Traditional dances were performed halfway through the event, and a group dance that attendants could participate in was led by DJ Prashant.
This was also the first year that LOHS has helped with the Diwali event. The two student unions had to work together in order to successfully run the event.
“[Getting] all of the vendors were mainly their work,” said Helena Du, a junior and AAPISU co-president. “We split the tasks and collaborated.”
However, the collaboration between LHS’s AAPISU and LOHS’s ASU was nothing new, with many similar events held conjointly in the past such as the Lunar New Year and Holi festivals.
The student unions’ efforts of showcasing diversity and representation of Asian cultures in LO continues this year with the Diwali festival.
“It’s nice to be able to share cultures and feel represented in a community that’s predominantly white,” said Aanandi Sohal, co-leader of LOHS’s ASU. “That’s the main purpose of what our clubs are about, making people feel welcome and sharing our cultures.”