Members of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s Indian Student Association eagerly enter their club sponsor, English teacher Chelsea Brigg’s, classroom on the day of their meeting. Discussing Diwali, the students are able to bond with each other before delving into their next activity, making Rangoli with chalk. Using bright colors and drawing intricate designs, the students get to know one another while participating in an activity that is centered around their culture.

ISA is a club at MSD that allows the school’s community of Indian students to bond through their culture. However, ISA is not just a club for Indian students, but also for other MSD students who want to learn more about Indian culture.

“I love being a part of ISA,” co-president Aneesha Nookala said. “I have been part of the club for three years now and I love every moment of it. This club allowed me to learn more about my culture and the culture around me while making new friendships.”

ISA is a way for Indian students of various grades at MSD to share their backgrounds and culture, providing them with the opportunity to connect with one another. By discussing the different traditions that each of them partakes in, students can learn new things about each other and discover their differences while bonding over their similarities.

“Seeing everyone interact with each other ties back how everyone has something in common in their background, which is truly a special sight,” co-president Cayaan Irani said. “I love seeing everyone interacting and spending time together.”

ISA meetings are held on the first or second Thursday of every month, along with additional events that are held throughout the school year. Club meetings begin right after school ends and are each an hour long. The ISA officer board makes the final decision as to what the club will be doing at each meeting.

During their monthly meetings, ISA members discuss different aspects of Indian culture, as well as any upcoming events they have, for example, the Multicultural Show. Sharing ideas with each other is a way for members of the ISA club to embrace their culture and talk about what Indian culture means to them.

On Oct. 6, ISA had an activity based on some of the traditions that surround the holidays its members celebrate. Nookala and Irani thought of having the club’s members bring in items that represent aspects of Indian culture that are personal to them, whether that be food or a sentimental object. Another idea the co-presidents had for a meeting was, when the club members talked about the holiday Diwali, to have them draw their own Rangoli with chalk. Rangoli is a traditional design used to decorate the streets for Diwali.

On March 10, ISA hosted their annual Cultural Food Fair. This event is held once or twice a year in the courtyard in collaboration with other cultural clubs. The food fair is a way for MSD students and staff to sample different cultural foods and, by extension, learn about different cultures from around the world.

In order to set up for the Cultural Food Fair, ISA members communicated with other cultural clubs and asked them if they wanted to participate. On the day of the event, people from the participating clubs dropped off the food they would be serving in the culinary classroom. With the help of culinary, the ISA officer team was able to set up during the first two class periods of the day.

“ISA has a really bright future when it comes to event planning and collaboration with other cultural clubs,” co-treasurer Samera Kathuria said. “I joined ISA based on the flyer posted around the school and my friends that were in the club from previous years talking about how cool and fun it was.”

ISA creates a special space at MSD for students to build friendships, become more culturally aware and educate one another. By providing students outside of Indian culture a way to learn more about it, as well as by providing Indian students with a way to connect with one another, ISA is actively bringing the student community as MSD closer together.