Holi Festival Provides Cultural Exchange

Holi Festival 2020

Satya Batchu was among the Arkansas Tech University students from India who had an opportunity to share a piece of their culture with their classmates on Tuesday, March 10.

The 2020 Holi festival celebration at ATU featured its usual colorful display of students throwing brightly colored powder on each other. Batchu, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in information technology at ATU, explained there is meaning within the activity.

“Sometimes there is conflict, but this is the time when people get it off their minds and celebrate by applying colors on one another,” said Batchu. “New friendships start from there, and that’s how it’s celebrated in India. It’s where the evil ends and the good starts. (ATU students) come from many different places, and we are experiencing this (American) culture. We also want to showcase our culture. People are so welcoming and like to adopt the traditions. It’s always our privilege to share our culture.”

Chloe Harris is an ATU freshman nursing student from Fayetteville. She was among the participants in the 2020 Holi festival event at Arkansas Tech.

“You’re throwing colors at everyone and having fun,” said Harris. “It’s a chance to be free from school and work…letting all that go. It’s very much a stress reliever. My roommate is from China, so learning about how she lives opens my eyes to other cultures.”

The event was hosted by the ATU International Student Services office.

Learn more at www.atu.edu/imsso.

2020 Holi Festival | 3/10/20