On Saturday students in the social hall sampled goat meat and Prata, a traditional Hindu dish of buttered chicken, in celebration of the annual Hindu Festival of lights, Diwali.

One of the major festivals of Hinduism, Diwali spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. It is an official holiday celebrated every fall in countries including India, Nepal and Pakistan, nations from which several Dickinson students hail. This year, We Introduce Nations at Dickinson (W.I.N.D.) oversaw the promotion and organization of the event.

“I think it is important to recognize Diwali on campus, so that those students, for whom this has been a major holiday throughout their life, feel noticed,” said Nastia Khlopina ’19, W.I.N.D.’s co-founder and current president.

The celebration began on Friday, Nov. 4 with an art event on Britton Plaza, where students tried their hands at Rangoli and Diya painting. Many students showed up to showcase their artistic talents, the event was held in the Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium (ATS) at 8:00 p.m. on Monday night.  Introduced by Sarah Zimmer ’17, a self-proclaimed fan of Shanley’s work, the evening began with a facilitated discussion.  Professors Karen Kirkham and Todd Wronski asked Shanley about his writing, directing, and screenplays.  In response to a question asked by Wronski, Shanley spoke of what he saw as his big breakthrough.

“I wrote play after play all through my twenties and into my early thirties. ….the obstacle was there and…when I was 31, 32, I wrote a one act play called “Welcome to the Moon” and what happened was I had just had years of poverty and rejection and I finally got to a place where…the plays really were, and I didn’t know this, showing how smart I was.  And nobody cares…Finally, this little fifteen-minute play, I gave up and I was just gonna say what I feel, what I think, and leave it at that,” he said.  When he went to see the play performed at a local theater, Shanley described how he “…experienced the play through their reaction, and I realized this was different…Breakthroughs also feel different [than I expected].  I was disappointed.  I thought, ‘Oh.  That’s what they want:  the truth.’”

After the facilitated discussion, Shanley fielded questions from the audience.  Peter Winnard ’18 asked Shanley for advice as a fellow artist, actor, and aspiring playwright.  “As an artist, I figure hearing him telling me about his experience, it just takes patience but it can happen and he said that it’s not always about making it but about making these connections with other people too,” reflected Winnard.  “I found John Patrick Shanley’s insights very compelling and in a way kind of inspiring.  His talk of his studies at NYU and how he just kept at it and was finally discovered by his class just really spoke to me as an artist and I was very impressed by that.”

Abigail Duell ’20 was not only impressed by Shanley’s talent in writing, but also “his insights on what it means to be human.  It makes me question what I know about being human and my place on the earth.  It makes me question a lot of notions that I thought were solid.”

Weissman concluded the evening’s event with the presentation of the Harold and Ethel L. Stellfox Visiting Scholars and Writers Program and the announcement that there would be a book signing immediately afterwards.