The Indian Culture Club is a new up-and-coming club at North Atlanta High School that started at the end of the last school year. The Indian Culture Club’s presidents, Aniyah Smith and Sanjana Mendonca, are working on displaying Indian culture to those who are otherwise not very familiar with it through both activities and education. Each meeting aims to provide students with more knowledge about Indian culture. With ideas flowing with each meeting, the Indian Culture Club is now establishing itself as a major club in North Atlanta.
Seeing the potential of the group, it didn’t take long for Smith’s club idea to garner support. Both Coach Andre Regan and Dr. Usha Patke’s sponsorship of the club last year allowed it to be kickstarted to an official status! Their vision for this group was to have a community of students who want to learn about Indian culture. To fulfill this hope, the presidents are introducing games, movies, and activities to inspire membership and prolong the club well beyond their graduation. “We want to make a club that far outlast our years at North,” said Mendonca. “We want to make the club more accessible.”
As far as the club’s future, the presidents have a plan for that – more. More school-wide celebrations, more events, more club positions, more community service opportunities and more t-shirts! They also have ideas of a teacher luncheon with traditional food, student trivia in the cafeterias at lunchtime, and demonstrations – like when the club organized to pass out mango juice, answer some questions, and draw henna tattoos for the students. While the club is off to a great start, there are some slight problems that the novice group is facing. There are some problems with figuring out club days, events, finding a suitable club room and getting people to come to their meetings. “Indian is not a culture, it’s an experience. We want to be able to share this experience with as many people as possible,” Smith said.
The Indian Culture Club is a way to teach students about Indian culture in a manner that’s both as exciting and educational as it is long-lasting. Putting the club out there, including more activities, will bring the experience of Indian culture to North Atlanta. In both the present and well into the future, the Indian Culture Club plans to become a staple in the unique experience of the North Atlanta High School clubs. Being a culture club, like Hispanic, African American, and the newly established Jewish Student Union, means bringing other cultures to be displayed. Exposing students to more diversity and a broader worldview makes the club a great addition to student life.
