Penn Persian Society dances to Persian new year

The DJ stationed in front of the room cranked out traditional Persian pieces in between Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

The first dancer walked onto the dance floor and raised her arms gracefully above her head and danced with nimble footwork. Soon other guests followed suit.

Children pounced around.

Friends and families greeted each other.

Old men in suits and tie-clad students shared the dance floor.

Friends dragged other friends out to dance.

Almost 300 people stopped by the Hall of Flags in Houston Hall on March 15 to celebrate the beginning of spring. Often referred to as the Persian New Year, Nowruz is celebrated by millions of people worldwide. The Iranian calendar begins with the vernal equinox and Nowruz is an all-secular celebration commemorating the new year.

The Penn Persian Society restarted two years ago at Penn and brought this traditional celebration back to campus. The event attracted students from Penn, Drexel, Temple and the University of Buffalo and some families in the community.

“The diversity of people who are celebrating Nowruz with us is important to me,” PPS board member and College sophomore Bahar Javdan said. A significant number of guests were non-Persians. “It is a great opportunity for us to share our culture and part of what’s great about Penn.”

She pointed to the Haft-Sin table set up in the corner, and explained that each of the seven items on the table represented a larger concept, like the sky, the earth or animals.

“It’s one big party,” said College sophomore Kristin Mullen, who celebrated Nowruz because a few of her friends were on the PPS board. “People here are friendly and more serious about the dancing,” she said, looking at the packed dance floor, “and I am definitely excited to try the different foods.”

Wharton senior Sasan Choobineh and College freshman Cameron Kiani — co-presidents of Penn Persian Society — planned the celebration together with six other board members. The event was free of charge for all attendees.

“People oftentimes don’t know what being Persian means. There are Jewish Persians, Muslim Persians, Christian Persians,” Choobineh said.

“Many people glean a negative impression about Iran from what is in the media and broadcasted on TV,” Kiani said. “Ahmadinejad is a talking head who represents us in people’s minds sometimes. But just as George Bush or Barack Obama doesn’t represent all Americans, Ahmedinajad shouldn’t represent us,” “I’m happy with the turnout and hope people glean from this event what real Iranians are like,” he added. “In the end, this holiday is a celebration of love for family, friends, delicious food and camaraderie.”

This article has been updated from a prior version to clarify Sasan Choobineh’s quote.

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