Every year West Po hosts an International Night where people go and bring any food, clothes, or tradition that represents their culture. This year, International Night will be held on March 13 and will be hosted in the cafeteria. It will start at 6 p.m. and end at 8 p.m..
International Night is split up into two parts. The first part is when students walk around and share their displays. The displays are colorful and share the history of one’s country, including food and clothes unique to that country. Then at 6:45 p.m. the entertainment and the dancing starts. There are a few cultural dances students do, like Salvadoran dances, including showcases of cultural clothing.
Director of International Night Ms. Sherry Terry says, “My favorite thing about International [Night] is seeing students come out with all their cultural wear on and seeing everyone excited to share with others where they are from. I typically see around 10-15 cultures and around 150-200 people, but it increases every year.”
International Night allows students to express themselves and their cultures. It’s also an opportunity to introduce people to new cultures and try new things they might have not known or seen before. This year on International Night students are welcome to bring food, items, clothing or just themselves.
“International Night is a good way to get a bunch of people together and celebrate each culture and inform people about them. I’m probably going to bring some food and clothes from Ethiopia,” President of Habesha club (HSA) club Edom Birhane said. “This event means a lot to me because it’s not only a way to express our culture, but also a way to get people together and create a bigger community.”
Freshman Zion Menelik says, “I’m planning on bringing some food from Habesha Club and wearing a cultural outfit. My favorite thing about international night is the diversity and being able to learn something new.”
