Penn State Indian Culture and Language Club Celebrates Diwali with Jay Sean | Way of life

Penn State’s Indian Culture and Language Club celebrated Diwali at the HUB-Robeson Center on Saturday night.

Diwali – also called the Festival of Lights – is a celebration of light over darkness. It is an important festival in Southeast Asia and is celebrated by cultures all over the world.

ICLC President Shashwat Shekhar said about 900 people attended the event and it was an “experience of a lifetime”.

“Diwali is a celebration that brings me closer to home, to my culture,” said Shekhar (computer engineer). “A lot of people are not at home this Diwali, so we wanted to do something that would make them aware of the culture and relate it to the way they celebrated. [Diwali] back in India.

The evening started by showcasing the talents of various South Asian student clubs with crowded performances from dance clubs Nritya, Sher Bhangra, Natya and JaDhoom, an a capella performance of a fusion of songs from Bollywood and Western performances of Penn State Fanaa and individual musical performances. by students.

Penn State alumnus Ibraheem Faiaz, who graduated in 2020 with a degree in health policy and administration, performed a performance of songs, warming up the crowd in front of Jay Sean.

“I was nervous [for tonight’s performance], but I still have fun at Penn State, ”Faiaz said.

Long lines of students gathered in the right corner of the hall for attendees to fill their appetites with Indian fare ahead of Jay Sean’s highly anticipated performance.

ICLC Treasurer Jainam Jain said his favorite part of an event like this was “the artists we bring in.”

“Diwali brings back a lot of family memories, and I’m thrilled that Jay Sean is performing tonight,” Jain (junior-finance) said.

The crowd chanted Jay Sean’s name as they eagerly awaited his performance to begin. Jay Sean took the stage in a black leather bomber jacket paired with black skinny jeans and sneakers at 9:57 p.m.

Jay Sean engaged with the audience by taking students’ phones from the crowd and clicking selfies with fans on the scene.

The crowd particularly enjoyed Jay Sean’s hits “Ride It” and “Down”. The remix version of “Ride It” went viral on TikTok earlier this year.

The show was briefly interrupted by a Penn State employee who enforced the mask policy by asking event attendees to put on their masks.

Jay Sean changed his setlist by performing some Punjabi songs in honor of the Diwali festival. Born to Indian parents in Hounslow, UK, Sean said he was “proud of [his] culture ”and stressed the importance of celebrating its Indian roots.

Simran Rathod, co-organizer of the event, said: “The ICCL did a great job of planning.

“It’s really cool that we have this community here [at Penn State] it gives us a chance to celebrate our culture so well, ”said Rathod (junior psychology).

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