OrthoWorx, Kosciusko YMCA Host Diversity Discussion Event Featuring India
WARSAW — Thursday, March 1, OrthoWorx partnered with Kosciusko Community YMCA to host the second installment in the Diversity Discussion Series, “India: A Subcontinent of Many Cultures.”
The series focuses on diversity, and the events were open to the public. Thursday night’s event included presentations, activities and Indian food samples. Approximately 60 people attended last night’s event.
“There is a lot of polarization going on in the world right now,” said Matt Goebel, director of Christian emphasis at the Kosciusko Community YMCA. “This series is to help us learn what is actually going on in other parts of the world.”
Gennie Brissette-Tipton, manager of communication and projects at OrthoWorx, said, “We’re fortunate to work with people in the Warsaw Indian community and other folks that live here in town to try to feature their culture, their religion and their background.”
Devendra Gorhe, Warsaw, led the presentation, providing those in attendance with basic information about India, such as the national bird (peacock), national animal (Bengal Tiger) and national flower (Lotus), climate, population, food and the meaning of the colors of the national flag.
The second half of the event featured presentations about selected states in the country and the differences from state to state. Attendees learned how to say common phrases, like “Hello” and “My name is…” in different languages. The event ended with a question and answer session.
March 1 was the first day of Holi, a National Festival in India. In celebration of Holi, all guests were “colored” with powdered color paint as they left the event. Warsaw Indian Community can be found on Facebook and encourages the community to join their group to learn more about India and upcoming events.
OrthoWorx and Kosciusko YMCA plan to continue hosting diversity discussions, with the next one tentatively scheduled to be held in June.