Nepali students are celebrating the major festivals of their homeland with Dashain and Tihar Night 2015.
The event features dance, songs, skits and authentic Nepali cuisine from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 7 with the cultural program in Ritsche Auditorium in Stewart Hall and the dinner Atwood Memorial Center Ballroom.
Since Dashain and Tihar are the two main festivals celebrated in Nepal and there are nearly 200 Nepali students at St. Cloud State University, Helping Nepal International (HNI) organizes the event annually to help the students celebrate the festivities with friends.
“Even though we are miles away from our families and our country, HNI tries to maintain Nepali culture by organizing events like Dashain and Tihar and celebrating them merrily,” said Shiwani Shrestha, HNI president.
HNI is a non-profit student organization with the mission to help underprivileged children in Nepal who were affected by the earthquake in April. Along with Dashain and Tihar Night, the group puts on various other fundraising activities such as a Henna Tattoo event and Temple Visit to raise funds for the cause.
Admission to the event is $6 for students or $8 for non-students in advance or $8 for students and $10 for non-students at the door. Tickets are available at the Atwood information desk until Oct. 30. HNI students also will be selling them from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 2-5 at a kiosk in Atwood Memorial Center.
Cultural festivals are one way the university is providing a transformative educational experience for students to help prepare them to be global citizens at home, at work and in their communities. More than 1,000 students from 90-plus nations attend St. Cloud State, and cultural festivals give them an opportunity to share elements of their culture with the campus community.
