Curtis held their annual Multicultural night, an annual showcase that highlights student’s the diverse cultures and ethnicities, this past Friday, March 8th. The night started off with the distribution of traditional foods in the cafeteria, including dishes like nem from Senegal, lumpia from the Philippines, arroz con pollo from Puerto Rico, palaçinka from Albania, and over thirty more. This was a massive hit amongst guests, with the line for food beginning at the cafeteria doors and extending well past the student Health Center,
After tasting a delicious variety of international foods, students and families made their way to the auditorium where the showcase began. Emceed by Mr. Cogan, this year’s event opened with the Parade of Nations, where students representing different nations ran across the stage for the audience to cheer their support. This tradition was made extra special this year with the foreign exchange students from the Netherlands taking part by running across with their nation’s flag.
This was followed with performances from the K-Pop, Balkan, and the African Students Association clubs, along with solo dances and poem readings from various students who had been rehearsing and practicing for months. Balkan Club, a new cultural club to Curtis, was made up of many girls who weren’t Balkan, aside from three members. Through their time as a part of the club, they were inspired to consider branching off and creating their own cultural clubs to perform their ethnic dances next year.
ASA also collaborated with students outside their club and put together a fashion show that presented beautifully hand crafted outfits, like the lilac Lengha that was worn to represent India, teshat e Krajës from Montenegro, custom Pahrang from Trinidad and Tobago, along with Kente from Ghana, Bazin from Senegal, and custom suits with match cufflinks from Nigeria.
Many adored the Quince dress walk, where many of our Latina/o students showed off the extravagant gowns and suits they traditionally wore to their 15th birthday celebration. Students came together just a week before the show to represent their countries and culture.
“It was an amazing turnout and wonderful night. We wish we had more food to serve everyone who showed up, but it was limited to what we could hold in the cafe and the same for the auditorium,” Mr. Cogan said. “We are victims of our own successes, but we are glad we could showcase the beautiful mosaics of Curtis HS.”
The show’s turnout had more than the auditorium could physically hold, with both the bottom seats and balcony spaces fully packed with people who came in support of all the students who participated that night. Many students and even alumni felt that the show was “amazing”, and the inclusion of so many cultures reflected the Curtis community.
