In preparation for Culture Fest, The Hawkeye will be featuring one staff member and their heritage each day. Mrs. Santharam is an instructional assistant in the IB office and was excited to speak about her heritage. Mrs. S is from India and says that she and her family practice “everything [they] were taught” from their heritage. She says, “I want my children to know their roots,” so they try to have one meal of Indian food each day, speak the languages, and celebrate traditional festivals. She speaks five different languages and her children speak three. Of the festivals that she celebrates, Mrs. Santharam says that Diwali, the festival of lights, is her favorite because everyone celebrates it; it is “not divided by faith or caste.” She says that the festival is meant “for welcoming the happiness” and showing “the significance of light over dark.” For the celebration, they get new clothes and eat traditional desserts. Mrs. S’s favorite is fudge-like, made with milk, almonds, and sugar. In India, they used to celebrate with firecrackers, but they stopped because of pollution.

Come to Culture Fest on Thursday, March 21, in the UHS Auditorium to learn about the many cultures at Urbana!