South Asian Student Association (SASA) is a three-year-old club at Lexington High School that was created with the intention of embracing South Asian culture while also providing a safe space for South Asian students. SASA hosts multiple events year-round, including Darba, Bollywood Night Dance, and movie nights.
Members of the LHS community with diverse backgrounds have taken part in these events with most participants being South Asian students. However, many students and faculty from other backgrounds have participated, as well.
“It was a really fun break from the monotonous routine of school, and it was really welcoming,” Brooke Pan, a sophomore who attended the Holi celebration in 2024, said.
The association is led by a cabinet, three vice presidents, and a president who help organize events. Besides organizing these large events, SASA strives to share South Asian culture in other ways as well. Each year, they design their own merchandise, promoting traditional Indian designs on everyday clothing such as t-shirts. With donations from parents, they also host the Holiday Bazaar, bringing South Asian handicrafts and gifts to students and staff. This year, they organized a spirit week for Navratri, one of the lesser-known Hindu festivals.
“It’s a really nice place where we try to be as inclusive as possible, inclusive in regards to if you’re South Asian or not, to just display the culture and make sure that people know about various, niche little holidays or events,” Aditi Rajavanshi, a senior and a vice president of SASA, said.
On Nov. 15, SASA hosted the annual Darba, a celebration in honor of Diwali and Garba. For the first time, they partnered with the Indian Americans of Lexington (IAL) for this year’s celebration. Along with partially funding the event, the decorations and food the IAL provided increased the size and scale of the event. Through SASA’s partnership with IAL, they were able to reach out to different food catering services, receiving sponsorships from Clay Oven, Royal India Bistro, and Nirvana.
In addition to gaining sponsors and partnerships for events, SASA has been reworking its advertisements for these occasions.
“We’re trying to be more active on social media, trying to be earlier with the announcement of events, so that people have more time to prepare,” Rajavanshi said.
SASA continues to grow, not only providing a safe space for South Asian students, but also helping promote inclusivity and respect among the LHS and Lexington community as a whole. It will continue to host events, engaging the community in South Asian culture.
“Such events not only enrich our understanding of diverse traditions but also cultivate a sense of inclusivity and respect, reinforcing Lexington High School as a community that values and celebrates the unique backgrounds of all its members,” Parul Kumar, faculty advisor of SASA, said.
