International Night celebrates cultures

CONNECTING CULTURES

Students join together to celebrate International Night

madie turley reporter

The sound of K-Pop and Bollywood music filled the air, mixing with the scents of fried dumplings and Kisir. Whether visitors were there for the food or the fashion, McLean’s International Night offered something for everyone.

On March 11, students, teachers and families packed into the courtyard and auditorium to celebrate the community’s diverse mosaic of cultures. Organized by McLean’s International Club, it aimed to share traditions and spread messages of inclusivity.

“It’s important to celebrate our cultures to understand where we come from,” said sophomore Kate Hernandez, the International Club president. “In a sense, we show what makes us special.”

To maximize attendence and participation, the club worked with other groups to put on the event.

“International Club collaborates with numerous other clubs at the high school to help include as many cultures as possible,” International Club sponsor Emer Johnson said.

Partnering clubs included the Turkish Student Alliance and Asian American Association, who committed to planning International Night from the beginning of the year. Executing such an elaborate event required lots of planning and fundraising.

“[In addition to funding International Night,] we’re also trying to save up to fund an international organization at the end of the year,” Hernandez said.

To kick off the night, attendees made their way out to the courtyard where they were given the opportunity to taste foods from different areas of the world.

“There was such a wide array of amazing cuisine. It was definitely a crowd-pleaser,” Hernandez said. “We had cuisine from countries such as Vietnam, Turkey, China, Japan and Ireland.”

It was the ultimate taste test, as attendees devoured anything from East Asian éclairs to Irish soda bread. Afterwards, students presented music, writing and dancing from their countries.

“I’ve been performing at International Night since middle school so it’s kind of been a tradition,” said junior Abby Chung, who performed with McXDance and as the lead singer of the band GNASH. “I am Korean American, so I wanted to do a mix of some Korean songs and American songs.”

Other acts included a Nepali dance and a Pakistani poem reading. Many performances embraced global pop culture.

“We danced to a mashup of some of the biggest K-Pop hits from this past year,” junior Phoebe Qian said. “We also featured a part of the Korean drama Squid Game that went viral this year.”

The show concluded with a grand finale by the band GNASH, fully equipped with two guitarists and a drummer in addition to Chung’s vocals.

“This event in particular is something I look forward to every year. It’s always a good time,” Chung said.

For the remainder of the year, McLean’s International Club will continue to create a welcoming environment within the school.

“People like to see themselves being represented and see themselves being part of a space,” Johnson said. “It helps to make

McLean a more inclusive place.”

PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE THEMSELVES BEING REPRESENTED AND SEE THEMSELVES BEING PART OF A SPACE.”

- EMER JOHNSON INTERNATIONAL CLUB SPONSOR

strike a pose — Kevin Lim sports customary Korean clothing for the event. grand finale — Abby Chung leads GNASH’s debut performance.

high fashion — Minahil Ishaq and Sarah Malik, who performed a song from Moana, show off their traditional outfits.