The sights, sounds and scents of India will fill the Humphrey Coliseum during Saturday’s Maroon Vibes, celebrating the culture and diversity of the country.
This is the fourth year for the annual intercollegiate event, which is presented by the Indian Student Association.
Lokesh Shivakumaraiah, coordinator of international student recruitment, said Maroon Vibes is different than the other events hosted by the ISA because it is intercollegiate.
Shivakumaraiah, ISA’s adviser, also helped start the MSU Cricket Club, which provides an opportunity for intercollegiate competition. Building on the club’s intercollegiate concept, Maroon Vibes began in 2006.
Shivakumaraiah said he does not think a large-scale event like Maroon Vibes occurs at other universities. He said the event’s name stemmed from a desire to connect different cultures to the university.
” Wewanted it to be associated with Mississippi State; that’s why we have called it Maroon Vibes because we can showcase the diversity at Mississippi State.”
Bharath Kumar Bolla, biochemistry graduate student and ISA president, said six universities are participating with MSU this year, including Jackson State University, Millsaps College, Mississippi University for Women, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Mississippi and University of Southern Mississippi.
Shivakumaraiah said the event draws other universities to Starkville to share in cultural experiences.
“[Maroon Vibes] helps us not only to reach out to the local community here,” he said. “We also get to meet with other international students in neighboring universities … and we wanted to be the first university to start something like that.”
Venkata K. Pendurthi, electrical and computer engineering graduate, said including other universities helps broaden the scope of the event.
“[Attendees] will experience the diversity of India,” he said. “They can see the best of MSU and other universities.”
The event highlights a variety of events and a blending of Indian cultures, Shivakumaraiah said.
“They get to see a lot of diversity in the Indian culture and tradition,” he said. “For example, if you compare the United States and India, United States has different states but with the same language, maybe different dialect or slang. In India, each and every state has their own language, their own culture and tradition.”
Pendurthi, who serves as ISA’s general secretary, said last year’s event drew 700 people and he expects this year to be larger.
The program, which includes singing, dancing, music and fashion, goes from 4 to 6:30 p.m. There is a dinner break from 6:30 to 8 p.m., with traditional Indian food catered from Memphis for $10. The program resumes at 8 and will last until 10 p.m.
Gurjot Singh, graduate student in computer science, said the singing portion of the program, called sur, usually features mostly Hindi music, although there are no language restrictions.
Ghungroo, the dance competition, features three kinds of dance: classical, regional and Bollywood. Classical dances tell a story using primarily facial and eye expressions while regional dances are similar to folk dances and have heavy beats and acrobatics, Pendurthi said.
Bolla said the Bollywood style is a recent form with New Age music.
“It’s a fusion of Western culture on Eastern culture,” he said.
Taal is a concert for instrumental pieces, and there will be a fashion show called “Kaleidoscope,” Singh said. He said the fashion show is not limited to India because last year displayed fashion from Nigeria and China.
There will also be a stand-up comedy show titled “Lol,” Singh said. While the show is in English, many of the jokes focus on the differences in Indian and American culture, he said.
An impromptu choreography competition and a video making competition will close out the night. For the choreography portion, Singh said each participant receives a song and has to choreograph a dance on the spot. Submitted films, created before the event and pertaining to India, will be shown and judged by a panel.
Sandeep Govind, a computer science graduate student, is one of the dance participants. Govind will perform a mirror dance, where his steps mirror the dance of his female partner, and a shadow dance, which uses a spotlight and scrim to project his silhouette.
He said he looks forward to representing MSU at Maroon Vibes and has enjoyed practicing with the group.
“When I came to State, I never thought I would be dancing again,” he said. “The ISA has given me a great opportunity to showcase.”
Singh said he has enjoyed participating in past Maroon Vibes and is thankful for the ISA community.
“This is a good opportunity to know about other cultures. Even in India, I didn’t know that many cultures in India until I came here,” he said. “I’m learning about India better and I want others to do the same.”
Shivakumaraiah said the ISA’s goal is to reach out to the university and local communities through the event.
“Our goal is not to just come and study here at Mississippi State and then go on to get some job and be in a clique of Indian students. We want to reach out to domestic people, learn about American culture and tradition,” he said. “This is a great opportunity to learn about their culture and then showcase our culture and tradition to them.”