Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to take part in a tradition that has been part of Bucknell’s student life for at least 52 years. SASA, Bucknell’s student run organization, held its 52nd annual SASA dinner. The South Asian Student Association is one of our school’s longest standing organizations and it is still active after all this time. Every year SASA members put together a dinner that is meant to celebrate their cultural backgrounds and heritage. It’s full of music, performances, and also some wonderful South Asian cuisine.
Puja Velani, a senior Biology and Chemistry major at Bucknell, is the current president of SASA and leads the charge in organizing and planning the event. SASA has been a major influence and has left a big impact on her experience at Bucknell as a whole. She began college during 2020 and the pandemic, making it difficult to find ways to get involved with activities on campus. She had the opportunity to join SASA and it excited her as she soon felt the impact it had in her life. It has been a way for her to share her culture with others and also have a sense of community within the university.
She and other students have seen the impact that SASA has had on their organization members as well as other students. SASA is an organization that allows the students to share, educate, and celebrate South Asian heritage and culture. Through SASA dinner, students are able to perform and participate in the event by performing dances, singing songs, and following a storyline that celebrates their unique aspects of South Asian culture.
This year’s SASA dinner sold out only 2 days after tickets went on sale, showing the excitement others had for the event. The theme was “Through the Decades” and it was inspired by South Asian music and Bollywood through different decades of time. The performances consisted of songs, dances, skits, and fun! Overall, the audience could see the dedication and hard work that many of their fellow classmates and friends put into the dinner. It shows us the importance of celebrating cultures and how we can do so while bringing people together. SASA dinner occurs every year and will continue to do so with the amazing talents of all its members and the dedication that they bring with them! So, if you didn’t make it this year (or if you did and want to go again…), I’ll leave you with the thought of attending the next annual SASA dinner. It truly is a wonderful tradition.