What better way to spice up your Instagram than a wholesome group pic in the aftermath of Holi Hai? 
Oh, Cheryl, how I wish you always looked alive instead of like a Medusa-esque statue. 
Multiple high-speed pursuits took place during Holi Hai. There’s nothing like a cardio workout with a cloud of vibrant colors awaiting you. 
One part blue, a half cup of green, and a pinch of magenta creates a recipe for this student that turned into an abstract masterpiece. R.I.P. Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock. 
Toward the end of the hourlong powder onslaught, there’s little more to do than accept your colorful fate. 
Not all of the experience was hunky dory; a few students had powder infiltrate their eyes, but the South Asian Association stayed strapped with contact solution to rinse the powder out. I think everyone can still see.
Story and photos by Jonah Hinebaugh
Saturated indigo, yellow, magenta and imperial red powder fogged the University Student Center’s lawn – along with students, Cheryl the Bull and, sometimes, innocent bystanders like me.
“Don’t try to eat it,” said Celina Dorie, a member USF St. Petersburg’s South Asian Association, who put on the event.
She thinks it’s the messiest and most fun event held on campus, even going so far as to tell participants how to wash their clothes – cold water soak, washing machine, pray it doesn’t stay.
Around a dozen students risked their clothes and bodies throwing over $600 worth of colorful powder on each other, in the air and sprinkling Cheryl, the drab bull, on the edge of the lawn.
The organization has put on this festival of color since 2014. This year was no different, as it threw a belated celebration of love and the end of winter, which was March 20.
The group focuses on highlighting South Asian culture by bringing students together and sharing traditions with them. In addition to Holi Hai, it puts on Diwali, the festival of lights, in the fall. Stripped to its basics, the celebration highlights the triumph of light over darkness in spiritual, emotional and metaphysical aspects.
I apologize to readers and attendees for not getting names. My camera and I feared the powder that’s notorious for sticking around a bit too long.
