2008 Woodie Awards
Friends of India plan new, larger Diwali banquet
D.R. Bartlette
Issue date: 10/17/07 Section: News
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The Friends of India will host its 39th annual Diwali banquet at Barnhill Arena Saturday to accommodate the nearly 1,000 expected guests.
The Diwali banquet was named "Best Cultural Event" by the UA two years ago. This year, Friends of India aims to elevate the scale of the Diwali banquet to a new level, according to its proposal documents.
"This is just about the biggest event that the campus hosts," said Siddhant Ramaswamy, the public relations officer for Friends of India, "and this year, it's going to be even bigger."
The event is usually attended by about 600 people every year and has been held in the Union Ballroom Ramaswamy said. But this year, he said, they expect roughly 900 to 1,000 people to come to the event.
"Since the event…has blown to unprecedented proportions, we have shifted the venue from the Union Ballroom to Barnhill Arena," Ramaswamy said.
For the last five or six years, the Associated Student Government has funded the Diwali banquet, making it possible for the students to attend at no cost, according to the group's proposal documents. This year, the Friends of India only received about a third of the money it needed to host the banquet, Ramaswamy said. Because of this, the group is strongly dependent on ticket sales to boost its finances, he said. Tickets are available for students at $10 each, or $20 for non-students.
New Musical Performances
One change the Friends of India is making to the banquet is bringing in a musical ensemble from Miami University, Ohio, called Global Rhythms, which will perform in conjunction with the UA's music school.
"This is probably a first-of-its-kind event at the university," Ramaswamy said. "For the first time, people will be seeing local American students perform Indian music…which is a challenge to play for most Indians." Ramaswamy said that it was only through the immense help and support from UA music professors Chalon Ragsdale and Jeremy Pratchard that this event could happen.
The Diwali banquet was named "Best Cultural Event" by the UA two years ago. This year, Friends of India aims to elevate the scale of the Diwali banquet to a new level, according to its proposal documents.
"This is just about the biggest event that the campus hosts," said Siddhant Ramaswamy, the public relations officer for Friends of India, "and this year, it's going to be even bigger."
The event is usually attended by about 600 people every year and has been held in the Union Ballroom Ramaswamy said. But this year, he said, they expect roughly 900 to 1,000 people to come to the event.
"Since the event…has blown to unprecedented proportions, we have shifted the venue from the Union Ballroom to Barnhill Arena," Ramaswamy said.
For the last five or six years, the Associated Student Government has funded the Diwali banquet, making it possible for the students to attend at no cost, according to the group's proposal documents. This year, the Friends of India only received about a third of the money it needed to host the banquet, Ramaswamy said. Because of this, the group is strongly dependent on ticket sales to boost its finances, he said. Tickets are available for students at $10 each, or $20 for non-students.
New Musical Performances
One change the Friends of India is making to the banquet is bringing in a musical ensemble from Miami University, Ohio, called Global Rhythms, which will perform in conjunction with the UA's music school.
"This is probably a first-of-its-kind event at the university," Ramaswamy said. "For the first time, people will be seeing local American students perform Indian music…which is a challenge to play for most Indians." Ramaswamy said that it was only through the immense help and support from UA music professors Chalon Ragsdale and Jeremy Pratchard that this event could happen.
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