Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Easter: There are numerous holidays we all look forward to celebrating, not only for their cultural traditions but also for their relaxing break from homework and tests. This year, a new one is added to the list: Diwali.
Diwali, a holiday celebrated across many South Asian faiths as the victory of light over darkness, will be recognized for the first time as a Category II holiday. As a result, this year, no homework could have been assigned on Wednesday, Oct. 30 or Thursday, Oct. 31, and no tests could have been administered or collected that Thursday or Friday, Nov. 1.
This new policy is a direct result of the student-led change by the South Asian Student Alliance (SASA), especially the advocacy from senior and co-president Amarjot Ranu, and former co-presidents Dhevin Nahata ‘24 and Saira Chander ‘24.
Biology teacher and SASA adviser Sutikshna Veeravalli said having Diwali as a Category II holiday in the calendar feels validating.
“I think earlier it was one of those things that you celebrated outside of school, and in school it really didn’t matter. But now people know about it. I think having it on paper makes a difference,” Veeravalli said.
Ranu said now that the holiday is homework-free, she can enjoy all the special celebrations that her family does during Diwali, such as going to Temple.
“I wouldn’t get to do that if homework wasn’t free because I’d have to leave early or I’d have to do homework right after, and into the night. So it’s good that I can actually go to the services with my family and enjoy,” Ranu said.
Student Government Liaison and Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator Jen Martin helped facilitate the connection between SASA and Student Council. She said this change demonstrates how Student Council can be used to help other students make change.
“It’s a great example of a student group who needed something and, alone, they maybe would’ve had a harder time achieving. It wouldn’t have been impossible, but with the help of the Student Council, they were able to,” Martin said. “I’m hoping that kids will also understand that from our perspective, this isn’t just about Diwali. It’s also like, ‘There is an issue that’s student-centered that you could bring to Student Council’ and then we’ll do the work.”
Martin said it is imperative to have clubs like SASA initiate change in the school community because they ultimately benefit a larger population of students.
“I think [larger clubs such as SASA] are really effective at making policies that benefit a large swath of kids who are not even in that club. There are a lot of South Asian students, most of them are not in SASA, but many of them are going to benefit from this,” Martin said.
Ranu said this action demonstrates a commitment from Brookline to recognize the diverse community.
“There are a lot of people of color in the school who don’t feel recognized by the current administration’s policies,” Ranu said. “And I think having this holiday, which recognizes the importance of our culture, is one step toward broadening our community and making it more inclusive.”
