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Sophomore Blends Cultural Traditions and Academics at Saint Joseph's College
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of a college education is learning about personal differences and embracing diversity. Even at a small school like Saint Joseph's College, each student brings his or her own unique experiences and talents from which others can learn. Anisha Gohil '10 is one student who loves to share her talents, not only with the SJC community, but also with the entire state of Indiana.
Gohil is a Biology-Chemistry major from Kokomo, Indiana, who has been dancing Bharatanatyam, a form of traditional Indian dance, since the age of seven. Her training began in her hometown, and she's continued to advance as she's grown. As the oldest form of Indian traditional dance, originating over 2,000 years ago, Bharatanatyam is deeply entwined with the Hindu religion and, in ancient times, was performed by temple dancers known as Devadasis. All stories told by the dancers describe Hindu gods and goddesses, including physical characteristics or personality traits. Before and after the dancer performs, she pays respect to God. The name "Bharatanatyam" pays honor to its creator and the discipline itself, as Natyam is Sanskrit for "dance."
Additionally, she's performed throughout Indiana at Indian and Hindu cultural events, including the spring festival Holi, Diwali (the Festival of Lights), Independence Day, the annual Vijayadasami celebration, and various other international festivals. She performed for the opening of the Hindu Temple of Central Indiana in 2006, culminating her training in the Bharatanatyam tradition by giving a complete solo performance, and has also helped with Bharatanatyam workshops at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Gohil is currently in collaboration with the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis, helping to create an Indian culture exhibit to promote interest and education about Bharatanatyam as a part of the Global Indiana Exhibit.
"I enjoy Bharatanatyam because it is a way I can share something about my Indian culture with others," said Gohil, who considers the activity to be a large part of her identity as well as her biggest passion. "I hope to stay involved with it for many years."
Gohil has enjoyed a very positive experience at SJC thus far. "I chose to come here because when I visited, everything just seemed to fit my needs," she said. "Everyone was very friendly, and I wanted to go to a smaller college instead of a large state school. I also want to be a doctor, and I was impressed with the rate of SJC graduates who get accepted to medical school. Even though I'm not sure what kind of doctor I want to be yet, I do know that I really want to be able to help people, and I also find the subject area very interesting."
"I had an internship last summer at St. Joseph Hospital in Kokomo, where we got to observe the doctors and sometimes do more hands-on work like cleaning wounds and taking out IVs," she continued. "It was an amazing experience."
As a recipient of SJC's prestigious Presidential Scholarship, which covers full tuition for four years, Gohil is well on her way to making her dream of medical school a reality. In her spare time, she enjoys playing on the women's tennis team and serving as the secretary for the Student Union Board. Gohil also works on campus as a biology lab assistant.
"I enjoy being a lab assistant and playing on the tennis team," she said. "But probably the best thing about coming to Saint Joseph's is all the friends I've made and people I've met who can never be replaced."
