On Tuesday, March 21st, Atholton held its annual Multicultural Night, showcasing the various cultures present in the school. Five cultural groups set up stations throughout the cafeteria, each one representing a different country or culture. From each station, aromas of freshly-baked foods drifted throughout the air. French National Honor cooked up ratatouille and meringues, BSU brought some injera and fried chicken, JSU had latkes and kugel, Spanish National Honor Society cooked gazpacho and empanadas. The rest of the event was packed with entertainment, such as live performances and even a Kahoot.
“It gives them exposure to many different cultures that they may not be able to experience otherwise,” said Elizabeth Bagley, co-president of Atholton SLC. Bagley and fellow co-president Ashley Martin planned and executed the entire event. Multicultural Night provided the Atholton community with a unique opportunity.
At 5:30, the event began with free time, allowing visitors to explore the different cultures’ booths scattered around the cafeteria. After approximately a half an hour, the festivities began.
Spanish National Honors, French National Honors Society, Jewish Student Union, Chinese Class, and Black Student Union all hosted booths and performances. The performances began with a song sung by French National Honors Societies members: Connor Dobson, Grace Tyson, Alyk Moomaw, and Kat Graf. “It was a very enjoyable performance which highlighted the culture of France,” said junior Jacob Recht.
Next, the members of BSU danced a hip hop number which was followed by an original rap regarding the use of the N word. Following the performances, Bagley and Lizzie Jacobs, another member of SLC, created and facilitated a Kahoot, which included questions and facts about different places in the world.
More live entertainment followed with a Jewish Student Union’s Keren Binyamin performing Hatikvah, the national anthem of Israel. Then, sophomores Jesse Wang and Celena Fei wrapped up Multicultural Night with a combined violin performance.
As the night came to an end, it was clear that this was yet another successful Multicultural Night. These clubs and the participants there hope to continue to improve Multicultural Night for years to come. “I think this night would be improved if there were more people here who aren’t just part of the clubs,” said senior Sally Salkini. Next year, SLC hopes to expand Multicultural night and market the event to all students throughout Atholton, spreading awareness of the dozens of cultures present here at Atholton that add so much to our school and surrounding community.