BUSM Culture Show: A Celebration of Unity in Diversity

A variety of groups and individuals on the Medical Campus showcased different aspects of their respective cultures at the BUSM Culture Show on Jan. 11 in Hiebert Lounge, sponsored by the South Asian Medical Student Association (SAMoSA) and the BU Creative Arts Society.

“The goal was to showcase the talent in our community,” said Pramod Kamalapathy, a second-year student and member of SAMoSA, which is the group’s acronym as well as a play on the popular Indian food of the same name. The group has applied to become a recognized student group by both the Student Committee on Medical School Affairs (SCOMSA) and the Office of Student Affairs (OSA).

The night included 13 performances ranging from spoken word to singing and dancing. In addition, there was a booth hosted by the Wellness Initiative, a student organization that advocates for the mental, emotional, social and physical well-being of students, where attendees could talk about what culture meant to them. Other activities included a photo booth and students applying henna, a form of body art originating in South Asia, on attendees.

SAMoSA founders Rashmi Koul, Shreya Sharma and Pramod Kamalapathy hope the Culture Show can become an annual event. “Soon we’re going to be passing our roles to the first-year students and this is going to be one of their main responsibilities moving forward,” said Ms. Sharma.

“I think it’s a really great opportunity that we can just go up to a dean and say that we want to host a cultural show and they’re very supportive at BUSM,” continued Mr. Kamalapathy. “This is something that they encourage, for all the students to collaborate and I think it’s a wonderful opportunity and a great way to showcase everyone’s culture.”

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