The Huntington News March 17, 2023
The independent student newspaper of the Northeastern community
@HuntNewsNU
NU SANSKRITI PLANS NORTHEASTERN’S FIRST-EVER INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH By Jessica Silverman | News Staff For NU Sanskriti, Indian Heritage Month is a time for celebration, creativity and community. There are almost 8,000 Indian undergraduate and graduate students at the university, and NU Sanskriti represents a large student population and is one of the biggest Indian Student Associations in the United States. The organization was founded over 20 years ago. This month, NU Sanskriti has organized Northeastern’s first Indian Heritage Month, looking to provide a safe haven for Indian students in unique and artistic ways. NU Sanskriti is composed of students with heritage from across India, many of whom speak different languages, follow different faiths and have a diverse set of traditions. With a variety of groups, or “portfolios,” students can join, the club hopes to provide a platform for students to express themselves. “We celebrate different festivals, we have different cultures and along with that, we have different events where people can showcase their talents,” said NU Sanskiriti President Sakshi Chougle, a graduate student studying project management.
For the first time ever, the group is hosting 14 events, along with daily guided meditation and yoga sessions, as part of Indian Heritage Month. These events are intended to share Indian culture with the larger Northeastern community. The group felt inspired to take on this effort after feeling underrepresented in campus celebrations. “We found that Indians are onethird of the university and we aren’t getting that particular representation [on campus], so we decided to go ahead with [these events] just so people can feel at home and so others know what’s going on and what Indian culture is about,” said Vatsal Kapadia, a graduate student studying information systems. “It’s not just about namaste and yoga, it’s much more than that.” Kapadia, who serves as the club’s head of finance and sponsorship, explained the purpose of these events is to make sure everyone, no matter how far they are from their home country, feels some sense of belonging. CELEBRATION, on Page 2
Graphic by Marta Hill | Photos courtesy NU Sanskriti Students attending NU Sanskriti’s Indian Heritage Month events paint Mehndi and perform songs at AfterHours. The club’s events provided a place for students to express themselves and experience Indian community and culture. “We want students to know that we are doing everything we can to make them feel at home,” Vatsal Kapadia said.
Dora Moono Nyambe reflects on building school, creating family of hundreds By Emily Chung News Correspondent When Dora Moono Nyambe moved to a remote village in Zambia to start a boarding school, people thought she was a witch. Three years later, Nyambe’s nonprofit, Footprints of Hope, has garnered support from over 4 million people worldwide. Northeastern University fraternity Delta Tau Delta and sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma hosted Nyambe and Joseph Schmitt, a Northeastern alumnus, Fulbright scholar and ecotourism researcher
as guest speakers Feb. 28. The event was part of a book tour for the recent release of “Under a Zambian Tree,” an account of Nyambe’s quest to educate written by Schmitt. It tells the story of Nyambe moving to Mapapa, Zambia, at 27 years old and single-handedly building a boarding school of over 200 students — 13 of which she has personally adopted. She created a TikTok account to share her experiences in Zambia, and went viral after posting a few videos. A packed audience in Richards Hall sat captivated as Schmitt and Nyambe shared their story via a
Q&A. The two had met through TikTok — Schmitt was also documenting his life, as he had recently moved to Zambia for research, and Nyambe had commented on one of his videos. Schmitt originally wanted to do a video about Nyambe’s journey. Upon watching the interview back, he realized the video only scratched the surface of her mission. For the next year, Schmitt would visit for two weeks every month, interviewing Nyambe and documenting his experience there to write a full book. EDUCATOR, on Page 2
Photo by Emily Chung Schmitt and Nyambe discuss Nyambe’s journey to TikTok fame. Nyambe has used her platform to advocate for education equity across the world.
SPORTS
CITY
MULTIMEDIA
Read about Northeastern’s unexpected quarterfinal home-ice defeat.
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Check out our video series to learn from NU club presidents.
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Photo by Z Weber
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57 Questions Video Interview Series
Photo by Z Weber