If you had entered Alumni Auditorium on the night of Nov. 23, you would’ve been privy to two and a half hours of songs, dances, poetry and much more, all centered around celebrating South Asian culture. This is one of Wellesley‘s annual traditions: Shruti Laya, hosted by Wellesley College’s Association for South Asian Cultures (WASAC) in collaboration with the Bangladeshi Students Association, Indian Students Association and Pakistani Students Association. But Shruti Laya isn’t the only thing that the South Asian community has been bringing to Wellesley lately; I spoke with Saniya Kodavarti ’27 about the role that WASAC and other South Asian orgs have been playing on campus this year.

Kodavarti joined WASAC her first year, looking for a space where she could find a common community of peers. She said that where she grew up, there wasn’t a lot of encouragement or displays of South Asian culture, and so coming to Wellesley, she wanted to find a place where a South Asian community thrived. When she saw WASAC’s booth at the orgs fair, she decided to go to a couple of meetings and realized it was the place for her. 

“I’m really happy I joined, I think it’s a really good community and I’ve made a lot of friends,” she said. 

Kodavarti quickly got involved with the org through general membership and e-board, becoming one of the first-year representatives and helping out with the cultural events that were put on during her first year. Kodavarti said she felt impassioned to continue her involvement in the org and to promote an inclusive community for South Asians on campus. She had an especially positive experience with Shruti Laya, and when she got the chance to run as the co-cultural chair for this year, she took it.

Leading up to the event, she handled lighting, music, and performances, not just from Wellesley, but South Asian organizations from other colleges. It was a big production that took the help of a lot of members and Wellesley resources, and Kodavarti said that it was a big responsibility to get right.

She explained that Shruti Laya is a great example of  WASAC’s greater role on campus: to serve as a support network for South Asian students. She said that it’s a mix of important shows and events, meetings, and also casual hangouts that just help students interact.

“Right now and in the near future, there’s probably going to be increased hatred,” Kodavarti explained. She hopes WASAC can serve as a respite for South Asian students from those feelings.

Kodavarti also said a big part of the org is learning and growing. She said that WASAC has a deep history of being less inclusionary, and they have been trying to encourage recent collaborations with other cultural orgs to foster acceptance and cultural understanding. She noted that especially with the amount of first years who are passionate about participating this year, it’s important that they draw from all parts of South Asian culture.

One example of this is the recent collaboration between WASAC and the Bangladeshi Student Association (BSA), when the org hosted a talk with three professors who were involved in the Bangladeshi student uprising. The event gave the students a chance to talk with these professors, learn about the political issues that Bangladesh is facing and talk with students from other South Asian orgs. 

“In college — in general — people can feel alone,” Kodavarti said. She recommends students find cultural orgs that will give them a chance to speak about their experiences and passions, and to feel like more of a community. 

Kodavarti encourages anybody who feels they have a place in the org to get involved, and anybody who wants to learn to go to public events. She also notes that other orgs should always reach out for collaborations, since they are always looking to partner with and learn from other students. She concluded by saying that WASAC is always meant to be a safe space for South Asian students throughout their time at Wellesley.

“I really like WASAC and you should too!” 

Image credit: Jiya Singh ’27

Contact the editors responsible for this story: Phoebe Rebhorn and Diya Khanna