On Saturday, the India Student Association held the biggest cultural inter-collegiate event in the United States, “Maroon Vibes: Spicing up Mississippi State.” The event was held at The Hump.
“We have over 200 student members and about 300 members in and around Starkville.” Lokesh Shivakumaraiah, president of the India Student Association, said.
This cultural event consisted of a dinner of authentic Indian food and a series of competitions. The competitions were between MSU and four other colleges, Millsaps College, the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Memphis.
Students competed in five categories: solo singing, classical dance, fashion show, bollywood fusion dance and Rangoli, a type of artwork.
“The whole purpose of this mega cultural festival was to boost MSU’s unparalleled support for the international student activities. We are proud to be bulldawgs,” Shivakumaraiah said.
Guests included Mayor Dan Camp and vice president for student affairs Bill Kibler. Each gave a small introduction speech prior to the competitions.
In his speech, Kibler said the ISA is one of the best organizations on campus. He also said the ISA is good at educating MSU about the Indian culture.
Before entering The Hump, guests were given a small red dot called a “tilak” on their foreheads as a sign of welcome.
Freshman ISA member Tina Patel explained the names of some of the Indian dishes served as part of the vegetarian meal. Patel said the meal included a type of bread called haan, a tofu-like food with an orange sauce called paneer, rice, sweet and doughnut-like gulab jamboo and a sort of large chip called papad.
The Indian women at the event wore many bright colors, including many reds, yellows and oranges, flowing as they walked.
Patel said there are different names for outfits in different religions. Her outfit was called a parallel suit because her pant legs were straight and parallel.
Most of the male Indian students wore neutral colors like grey and off-white. Some also wore turbans and brightly-colored pants.
During the classical dance section of the competition, the contestants wore small bells on their fingers and toes to add to the music as they danced.
“Maroon Vibes is the first of its kind and the biggest intercollegiate cultural festivals among SEC schools.
We provide accomodations for the visiting schools to encourage more schools to be a part of this event,” Shimakumaraiah said.