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The courtyard at the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus was filled with vibrant colors on a Saturday in May as dozens of ��ͷ��app students celebrated Holi.

Holi, also known as the festival of colors, is a Hindu celebration of friendship and diversity. 

��ͷ��app student Arushi Tripathy organized the celebration for the third year in a row at ��ͷ��app on Saturday, May 25, with help from fellow students Brinda Ryali and Apoorva Dharmadhikari. Tripathy said it was a fun activity she did in undergrad at Johns Hopkins University, and wanted to continue the tradition at ��ͷ��app.

“We’re all separated, we’re all split up in different clinical rotations, so this was a good chance for us to get together,” Tripathy said.

Tripathy said Holi represents different things for different people, but she sees it as a time to break boundaries and celebrate diversity and friendships. 

“Everyone’s brought down to the same level,” Tripathy said of celebrating Holi. “There’s no seniority. Everybody hangs out with everybody. At the end of the day, we look the same, too.”

For the celebration, about 30 students wearing white shirts met in the courtyard and threw red, pink, blue and purple colors on each other. They played music, had snacks and doused each other with water guns. Tripathy said the celebration usually brings between 30 and 50 people to the courtyard.

Tripathy said it has given people the opportunity to meet fellow students they may not have met otherwise.

“It’s incredible to be able to create the opportunity that allows so many people to have fun,” Tripathy said. “It’s just a bunch of med students who are stressed and who have a lot of things to do. To be able to participate in my event, it brings a lot of joy.”