KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 21, 2017

Festival brings campus community together

Kennesaw State’s Year of India observance covers a variety of historical, cultural and political topics, but there’s also room for fun.

Students, faculty and staff gathered Wednesday on the Campus Green for the Year of India Festival. The attendees learned about Indian culture while enjoying food and live music.

“Through the whole Year of India program, we’re trying to provide lots of different entry points for students to learn about India,” said Dan Paracka, director of campus internalization in the Division of Global Affairs. “Food and music are the easiest things to like about another culture, right? So this is a good entry point.”

KSU student Virginia Gebreyesus, a junior biology major, was interested in sampling the food. However, she was most interested in the henna hand-painting, reflecting a body-art tradition practiced for more than 5,000 years in India, Pakistan, Africa and the Middle East.

“I think it’s good to get exposure to other cultures, and this also brings everyone together,” Gebreyesus said.

The 2017-18 academic year is being recognized as the Year of India at Kennesaw State. It is this year’s installment of KSU’s Annual Country Study Program, which takes a wide-ranging look at a specific country through lectures, performances, exhibits and films.

The first performer at the Year of India Festival, Pranaya Rana, played guitar and sang Hindi songs. Rana earned his Ph.D. in International Conflict Management from Kennesaw State and now is an assistant professor of peace studies in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies.

“The fact that Kennesaw State has this program where they feature one country every year is amazing, especially given the diversity and the number of international students from all over the world that we have,” Rana said. “This shows that Kennesaw State cares.”

For more on the Year of India, including the full calendar of events, click here.

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.