On the 22nd of March, the secondary school celebrated Holi, a festival which commemorates the arrival of Spring, good fortune and rebirth, through vibrant colors. This celebration had the students (as well as the lawn!) covered in a bright array of color. The student council, specifically Tarana Ramachandra (Head of School Spirit) and Meera Somaiya (Head of Events), had been
brainstorming and working to find ways to make the day an unforgettable and festive day for every grade!
Students arrived at the normal time, all dressed in flip-flops and old clothes. The activities started by 9:30, with everyone crowding on the lawn, pickaris and water guns in hand, playing with color. By 9:30 the first game began, which was a small inter-house tournament that Yell
ow ended up winning, serving a redemption arc from their losses and last place on sports day. To win this game, the student council organized colors for every house (red, green, blue and yellow) and the winner would be whichever house spread their color on the most students. While the game started off with the intention of having your house win, somewhere in the middle students just started throwing colored water on everyone, chasing each other and enjoying themselves.
After this there was free Holi, which allowed all the students to color as many people as they wanted and pour buckets and buckets of water on anyone, expectedly or unexpectedly. This led to the lawn in front of the school being the most colorful it had ever been, with colors circulating through the air, and a flurry of students running around trying to get as much water and color as possible. While the color supply ran short, the students ended up just playing with water, and towards the end, a huge school-wide water fight broke out.
What was really incredible about Holi this year was the inter-connectedness and true spirit of Ascend that was revealed. People were not just playing within their grades or within their friend groups, everyone was interacting with everyone else, enjoying and having a good time overall, without there being any sort of segregation. It was truly an incredible time that allowed the entire secondary school to bond like never before. Afterwards the students were instructed to dry off, pick up some pizzas, and get hosed down, which they thoroughly enjoyed.
While this year was the first Holi the secondary school has ever celebrated, it definitely is the first of many to follow. The student council organized an incredible event that is sure to get better each year, and allow the true spirit and connection of Ascend to shine through as we celebrate our festival of color!
