First ANNUAL Rams Around the World

Ladue celebrates different cultures in their first Rams Around the World

BY CINDY LIU news staff

On April 26, Ladue

Horton Watkins High School hosted their first ever “Rams Around the World Night,” also known as Passport Night, from 5-7 p.m., where students shared their cultural food, attire and performances.

Clubs such as the Bollywood Dance Club, UNICEF and the SAGE club all participated, contributing all that they’ve learned to the event. Upon entrance, students can write a phrase in a language they speak to share their culture.

Stuti Dasgupta, a sophomore, sang a traditional song, “Pherari Mon,” along with her younger sister, who played the guitar. Dasgupta says the meaning is a longing love song.

“[The song] translates to Wandering Heart,” Dasgupta said. “It’s about a girl singing to this guy that she lost a long time ago.”

Dasgupta was proud to be sharing her culture, especially through singing.

“Passport Night was a super fun experience performing for the Bollywood Dance Club, singing with my sister and tasting various cultural foods with my friend was really unique! When I was performing, obviously, I was kind of nervous because I don’t sing cultural songs outside very often, let alone people I go to school with,” Dasgupta said.

Behind the scenes, or rather, behind the tables, sophomore Adam Ye worked hard to make and give out boba, along with freshman Rex Zhu and sophomore Bohan Pan. Together, they worked as a team in the “China” booth, against the flooding lines of people trying to get boba and food.

“I thought it was pretty crowded, but it was in a good way. It was energetic and everyone was really excited by all the food, the culture, the people and, of course, the boba,” Ye said.

Ye was glad to have been apart of the experience, as he felt it was important that others understood and respected cultures that were different from their own.

“I felt like it was pretty exhilarating and fun, because I think, it’s [great] knowing that your booth is really popular and that your culture is being spread to other people, and other people are getting a positive experience of your culture,” Ye said.

The performers, such as

Dasgupta, and volunteers, such as Ye, were extremely vital to the event, but without the coordinators, Rebecca Rubin-Schlansky, who teaches freshmen World History and AP World History and Jennifer Tuttle, who works as a librarian for LHWHS, there wouldn’t be an event at all. The co-hosts were extremely happy with the turnout and felt that seeing everyone eating, laughing and learning, was very rewarding and that their hard work was all worth it.

“It was really moving to see that many people come together, especially at a really busy time of year. It showed the level of commitment our district and our community have to celebrating all its members,” Tuttle said.

Due to the of the great success of the event, Tuttle and Rubin-Schlansky have goals set to make this a Ladue tradition.

“When everyone was leaving, they were saying ‘Next year we should...,’ so this gives me hope that we’ll be able to make this an annual event that will grow and improve every year,” Rubin-Schlansky said. So be sure to catch the event next year, for what Tuttle hopes will be “even bigger and better.”