Dressed in authentic Indian garb, students from all over the Midwest and the University community gathered at the Michigan League on Friday to kick off the first annual Indian American Student Conference put on by the Indian American Student Association.
LSA senior Monali Patel, a coordinator of the conference, said the event benefitted Indian students at the University.
"It is important to get the ball rolling by promoting unity, community awareness and education," Patel said.
Activities started Friday night with dinner and a keynote speech by former American Ambassador to India Shyamala Cowsik. She focused on the importance of creating a bridge between India and the United States.
The conference ended yesterday with a brunch and another keynote speaker, Delegate Kumar Barve, a member of the House of Delegates in Maryland.
Many of the 100 students who attended Friday night's event hailed from the University, but some came from as far away as Wayne State University and Purdue University.
Manish Kesliker, president of the Indian Student Association at Wayne State, said the conference was a great experience.
"It is a good forum to exchange ideas with people from your own culture," Kesliker said.
Senior Neha Soni, a member of Purdue's ISA, said she came to learn from other participants, and she hoped to take ideas back to her school to start a conference there as well.
"It is great meeting with other students and keeping the culture and struggle alive," Soni said. "I am here to see what they are doing and bring ideas back."
Patel said the goal of the conference was to give students a greater understanding of the problems Indian students face today.
"Personally, I think students in our generation need to identify with a sense of culture and understand it to educate the rest of the community about what it is like to be an Indian," Patel said.
The conference also featured two sessions where participants attended panels on issues including gender roles, biculturalism and political and current events in India.
Another coordinator of the conference, LSA sophomore Deval Shah, said IASA is a necessary organization because it promotes essential community activities.
"I think that it is great whenever we can increase cultural awareness," Shah said. "It is important that we take advantage of activities like these and the diverse population on this campus, and IASA has always been very active in promoting on-campus activities such as these."
MARGARET MYERS/Daily
Sophomores Monica Shah (left) and Ami Parikh enjoy Indian cuisine at the Indian American Student Conference dinner in the Michigan League ballroom Friday.