WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1896 April 20, 2023
www.thesunflower.com
Volume 127 Issue 29
ROCKIN’ AND ROLLIN’
A pair of Holi participants coat each other in colored powder on April 15. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, is celebrated in several southeastern Asian countries. | Photo by Nithin Reddy / The Sunflower
Hindu association hosts event to commemorate spring arrival BY ALLISON CAMPBELL
campbellnallison@gmail.com
Reed Tiwald, guitarist for Social Cinema, leans into the chorus of their new song “Get Along”. | Photos by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
Fans came to Wichita State’s Koch Arena for the performance of Saint Motel. Audience members in the front row listened to the songs by the opening act Social Cinema.
Drummer for Social Cinema, Logan Bush, plays along to the group’s set. Bush was part of the original group, Kill Vargas with Griffin Bush and Austin Engler, before expanding to create Social Cinema in 2021.
Griffin Bush, vocalist and guitarist for Social Cinema, plays the song “Star Quality”. “Star Quality” is off of the group’s first album “Causing Scenes.”
AJ Jackson, lead vocalist and pianist for Saint Motel, sings during their third song Friday. On Friday April 14, Saint Motel was the main act for a concert hosted by SAC at Koch Arena.
The opening act for Saint Motel Friday night is local Social Cinema. The group plays their 2022 song “Pointless Conversation” to a full crowd at Koch Arena.
Mari Crisler grabs the pick from her mouth to transition back to guitar during Social Cinema’s set on April 14.
Despite the rainy weather, explosions of color could be seen from the Hubbard Hall lawn Saturday morning. In celebration of Holi, the annual Hindu Festival of Colors, Wichita State students and community members commemorated the start of spring by throwing colored powders on themselves and each other. The Association of Hindu Students in America (AHINSA) — in collaboration with the Cultural Association of India, Student Engagement, Advocacy and Leadership (SEAL), and Housing and Residence Life — coordinated the event to increase Hindu representation. “Our goal is to promote the Hindu culture at Wichita State and the surrounding areas and build awareness about our culture,” AHINSA President Hemil Mehul Shah said. “Events like this enable people to have fun while learning about the (Hindu) culture.” Participants paid a $5 entry fee for colorful bags of powder and a variety of snacks and drinks. In Hindu culture, certain colors have symbolic meanings, like red representing love, passion and fertility. During Holi, the bright blues, reds, greens, purples, pinks and yellows signify the advent and many colors of spring. “Holi is a colorful festival because we think that when spring comes, everything regenerates,” AHINSA Faculty Advisor Alan Dsouza said. “So the way we express it is by throwing colors on each other.” For community members like Monalisa Chakraborty, having a Holi celebration on campus makes home feel a little bit closer. “I haven’t been home for four years,” Chakraborty said. “So this is so exciting. In India, they go crazy (for Holi) … I’m glad we have something here, too.” All students, regardless of race or ethnicity, interested in joining AHINSA or participating in AHINSA events next semester (like Bollywood Night and Garba Night) can learn more about the organization via ShockerSync. “We pride ourselves in being a diverse group,” Shah said. “(We want to) let everyone know what (Hindu culture) is about and make everyone feel included.”