To entertain International Baccalaureate (IB) students before the approaching testing season, the International Baccalaureate Student Organization (IBSO) hosted its annual IB Holi event at Mountain View Park on Saturday, March 30. In addition to learning the Indian cultural roots of the holiday and engaging in its festivities, the IB students sold Holi colors to benefit the Asian Family Support Services of Austin (AFSSA).

“I really enjoyed the event and [the fact that we] donated money to AFSSA,” Ridha Mirza ‘19 said. “Their legal and therapeutic services are some of the great resources that they provide. I’m glad IBSO could work with such a great organization that helps the Asian American community of Austin.”

To carry out the event, the IBSO officers planned months in advance to create a memorable experience for students at IB Holi. It was especially important to plan well for this event given that IB Holi is one of the last IBSO events of the 2018-19 school year.

“We organized the location and dye providers during meetings,” Vladimir Volobouev ‘19 said. “[Specifically,] we had to repackage the dye into individual bags that could be thrown, promote the event through email and social media, and create artwork in the IB Colony.”

Altogether, through IB Holi, students were given the opportunity to expand their cultural horizons and forge memorable experiences with their peers. More importantly, this event marked the continuance of IBSO traditions and experiences.

“IB Holi was super memorable because I got to celebrate and learn about a holiday beyond my Latina culture,” Alexa Pena ‘19 said. “The event helped an organization that deals with sexual and domestic violence issues which is important to speak out about.”