Walking along the first floor, snippets of Spanish, French, Latin, and German can be heard faintly through the halls. In the cafeteria, a plethora of languages can be heard as students chat with their friends and munch on food from across the globe. WS is no stranger to diversity.

On Friday, March 15, International Night was held at WS in celebration of all the cultures that contribute to the diversity of the school population. International Night is hosted by the Hispanic Student Association (HSA), but several other culture clubs are involved as well in creating an event that aims to bring people of all backgrounds together. In addition to celebrating diversity, International Night is a fundraising opportunity. The Hispanic Student Association hosts the event to raise money for a scholarship given to a high school senior. Clubs and honor societies also help fundraise by holding bake sales.

The event was packed with performances from students who wished to express their diverse backgrounds through various creative outlets on stage. Food was also sold and the menu included French, Ethiopian, and Chinese cuisine. Performances included singing, instrumental performances, skits, and traditional dancing from clubs like the Ethiopian and Eritrean Club and the Hispanic Student Association.

Many students performed during International Night as representatives of their own culture clubs. Senior Makida Solomon participated in two performances and prior to the event, was busy holding weekly practices to get ready.

“I [danced] in the Ethiopian and Eritrean Club performance and [sang] in the French Honor Society performance,” said Solomon. “I’m active in both of the clubs and love cultures.”

Junior Eric Jung, who is part of the Asian American Student Association, walked in the fashion show and performed an original song with senior Theo Zamani in English, Korean, and Afghani.

“I’m proud of my heritage and my friends [performed], so I was kind of peer-pressured into it,” said Jung. “I love my culture, and I like playing the guitar, and I just love the stage.”

In addition to the actual event, other preparations were made for the entire school to appreciate and gain a deeper understanding of traditions from around the world, particularly in relation to clothing.

“We [had] a spirit week that we [held] the week leading up to International Night, so that’s how we’re trying to celebrate our different cultures and the diversity within our school,” said Spanish teacher and HSA sponsor Mary Dailey. .

In addition to the traditional pajama day, the spirit week featured “famous international figure” day, flag day, cultural day, and “World Cup Wednesday” which was a day to wear any sports-related attire.

Last year, plans to host International Night were cancelled due to a lack of student interest, with only 2-3 groups of student performers turning in applications by the deadline. Although the preparations made last year unfortunately didn’t culminate into a physical event, this year all the effort was able to be paid off.

Prior to the event, excitement was already building up among the student population. Even after its conclusion, it will still undoubtedly remain a night to remember.

“We didn’t do International Night last year and that was really disappointing, but now we’re doing it this year, and I’m really excited for it because it’s an opportunity for all of us to come together and tap into our heritage and explore each other’s heritage,” said Jung.