Diwali is perhaps the most celebrated Indian Festival around the globe. It is the festival of lights that marks the start of the new year for many Indians. What started as a mythological event marking the victory of good over evil has now evolved into an opportunity to celebrate with all, near and dear.

Keeping up with the same spirit, this year, the international student body decided to not only organize the Diwali celebrations, but also involve our domestic and non-Indian international friends in all the events. The show was hosted by two of my colleagues, Sasi and Sahil. Amongst the cultural events, there were some Bollywood dance performances, a Hindi song, and the grand finale was the fashion show which deserves special mention. Right from the time I started choreographing the fashion show until the final dress rehearsal, this event was nothing but loads of fun. The central theme was ethnic Indian and the participants were diverse. Dean Sheehan, our celebrity guest in the fashion show, walked the ramp in traditional Indian attire amongst applause from students, administration and faculty. The organizing committee had put together a delicious spread for everyone to enjoy at the end of the event.

Diwali 2007 is by far my most memorable Diwali. Having performed in the various events, I witnessed first hand the commendable spirit of the Smeal-MBA family. It was amazing to see how a diverse student body came together and embraced a completely different culture and dress style with finesse and enthusiasm. A lot of people worked together to make this event a success and I believe that it is this collective effort and unanimous enthusiasm that the Smeal-MBA program is all about.

-Amishi Patel (Smeal MBA 2009)

Amishi Patel has 8 years of experience as a Computer (Software) engineer. She has worked as a Senior Developer, Team Lead in Companies like Citigroup (NY), Western Asset Management (LA), and Tata Consultancy Services (India).