Origins
Founded in 2016, South Indian Society (SIS) is a student organization at UC Berkeley that was conceived with the goal of representing South Indian culture.
About
The South Indian Society (SIS) is a student organization at the University of California, Berkeley, founded in 2016 to represent and celebrate South Indian culture on campus. SIS brings together students with Tamil, Telugu, Malayali, Kannadiga and other South Indian roots — alongside anyone curious about the culture — through food, music, dance and year-round events.
Culture
We provide students with opportunities to experience South Indian food and traditions through events and celebrations!
Events
In the past, we have hosted events such as Suits and Sarees, Dosas and Mimosas, Tollywood Movie Nights, Sambar Socials, and more.
Community
We hope to unite the South Indian student body at Berkeley to create a cohesive, welcoming, and celebratory environment.
Board
SIS comprises a dedicated Board with various departments and our General Member arm for all students to enjoy SIS events and opportunities.
Home
SIS hopes to provide a home away from home through shared identity and culture.
If you would like to support our efforts or join as a General Member, please email sisberkeley@gmail.com.
Frequently asked questions about SIS Berkeley
Everything students, parents and campus partners most often ask about the South Indian Society at UC Berkeley.
The South Indian Society (SIS) is a student organization at UC Berkeley, founded in 2016, dedicated to representing and celebrating South Indian culture on campus. SIS hosts cultural events, food socials and performances, and builds community among South Indian and South Asian students at Berkeley.
The South Indian Society at UC Berkeley was founded in 2016 by students who wanted a dedicated space for South Indian culture at Cal.
Any UC Berkeley student can join, regardless of background or heritage. SIS offers two paths: General Membership, which is open to all students and grants access to events, and Board positions, which are filled through an application and interview process each fall.
Fill out the General Membership interest form linked on the SIS Berkeley membership page to join as a General Member. To join Board, apply during fall recruitment: applications open in the second week of September, followed by coffee chats, two info sessions, interviews, a social round and Welcome Night in early October.
SIS hosts Dosas & Mimosas, its flagship spring showcase of South Indian food and performances; Suits & Sarees, a themed formal each fall; Onam, celebrated with a traditional Sadya; Pongal, with free pongal, idly, vada and sambar; plus Sambar Socials, Iced Chai Mixers and Tollywood movie nights.
Dosas & Mimosas (DNM) is the South Indian Society's flagship annual event at UC Berkeley, held in the spring. It is a night of South Indian food, live student performances, music and dance that draws hundreds of attendees from across campus.
No. The South Indian Society at UC Berkeley welcomes every student who wants to learn about or celebrate South Indian culture. Members come from many backgrounds, and no language or cultural knowledge is required.
General Membership in the South Indian Society is open to all UC Berkeley students; sign-up details and any dues for a given semester are shared on the SIS membership page and through the club's Instagram, @sisberkeley.
Email sisberkeley@gmail.com for questions about membership, events, sponsorships or collaborations. SIS also posts announcements on Instagram at @sisberkeley and on LinkedIn as UCB South Indian Society.
The South Indian Society is a registered student group at UC Berkeley that acts independently of the University of California. The club takes full responsibility for its organization, its events and this website.
SIS at UC Berkeley brings together students with roots across South India, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayali, Kannadiga, Tulu and Konkani communities, spanning Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry.
The South Indian Society holds its events and general meetings on the UC Berkeley campus in Berkeley, California. Specific locations and times for each event are announced on the SIS events page and on Instagram, @sisberkeley.