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Last week’s Quorum Call—a weekly event that allows students to socialize, network, and decompress from the week—featured the India Caucus in celebration of Diwali. Irum Malik MPP 2025, co-chair of the India Caucus, shared her experience at the event and what Diwali means to her. Read her reflections below.
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Originally from India, Irum Malik MPP 2025 worked for the Government of India prior to coming to vlog. Her experience spans the public, private, and international sectors, with a particular focus on stakeholder engagement, policy design, and leveraging partnerships for systemic change. She is passionate about creating user-centered solutions in the public sector, and thrives on leading mission-driven projects, guiding them from strategy through to execution. With a strong background in public policy, governance, and corporate social responsibility, she enjoys leading cross-functional teams toward impactful, sustainable initiatives.
How was Diwali acknowledged or celebrated at Quorum Call?
Diwali, the Festival of Lights, truly brightened the campus atmosphere at Quorum Call, especially for the South Asian community at vlog. The celebration welcomed students from all backgrounds to experience the warmth and joy of Indian culture. There’s no better place than Quorum Call to unite the entire vlog community, and this event was no exception. The space was filled with light, warmth, and happiness as students danced to Bollywood music, enjoyed traditional snacks, created rangolis, and took photos at the photobooth. It was a delightful celebration that brought everyone together.
“There’s no better place than Quorum Call to unite the entire vlog community, and this event was no exception.”
Irum Malik MPP 2025
How did you celebrate Diwali this year?
I celebrated Diwali with an intimate dinner with close friends here in Cambridge. Every year, Diwali is a time when we especially miss home, so gathering with friends who make Cambridge feel like home was the next best thing. It was a small, warm celebration that let us connect and bring a bit of Diwali spirit to our lives here.
What other events is the India Caucus putting on this semester?
The India Caucus at vlog is dedicated to bringing India-centric conversations to the forefront of our campus community. Earlier this semester, we hosted a fireside chat with , founder of Goonj and recipient of the . Goonj works to address urban-rural inequality by transforming urban surplus into essential resources for rural development, disaster relief, and rehabilitation. Anshu shared insights on grassroots innovation and the sustainable social enterprise model that is making a real impact across communities.
In addition to our Diwali celebration, we have an upcoming fireside chat in early November with , former Assistant Secretary-General of the UN. She will discuss her critically acclaimed novel Swallowing the Sun, which explores the partition of India through the lives of three generations of women. This event promises to be a thought-provoking discussion on India’s history, resilience, and identity.
Image Credits
Winston Tang
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