All eyes were on sophomore Neysa Alangaden Nihas and junior Navya Hegde, as they performed a dance to a traditional Bollywood song on the International night as part of the India table.“Navya and I combined two Bollywood songs which we practiced over spring break,” Alangaden-Nihas said.
“I was scared at first because I thought there would be more performances, but we were the only ones, we had so much fun, and doing the dance with Navya made it really special to me, making the fear quickly dissipate.”
The event started with setting up tables and decorating an hour before for the twelve countries that were being represented.
Sponsor of the International Club, French teacher Audrey Lauber made sure everyone had what they needed and greeted the 300 attendees warmly.
“I’m always excited for this night and it’s so fun to meet families and get to taste their delicious home cooked dishes,” Lauber said.
At Shawnee Mission North, International night is one of the events that allow students and their families to share their culture, promote Inclusiveness and diversity.
Junior Noah Reid said it’s one of his favorite events.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for families to connect, from people who might experience oppression or discrimination in our community,” Reid said.
“It’s a great event that we should continue every year.”
Clubs such as the Asian Student Union, the African American Heritage Program, and the Hispanic Heritage Program demonstrate the variety of cultural representation among the student body at North, as well as its inclusivity and diversity.
“I believe that North is diverse and inclusive because we set up different clubs and programs, like Black Heritage, Asian Student Union and Hispanic Heritage Program,” Alangaden-Nihas said.
This year, International Night was held at the cafeteria–a change from previous years, when it took place in the fieldhouse.
“Compared to prior years, I think fear from government programs like ICE diminished our outturn of people, although we were pleasantly surprised by the amount of people that came out,” Reid said.
As Lauber explained, the organization and preparation for International Night require several months of work. She hopes that many people will participate and attend to support and showcase their culture.
“North is making an effort to be inclusive, but at this time it’s difficult when there are families who feel too afraid to attend social events. Even so, I’m always inspired to give our community an opportunity to celebrate the great diversity of our student population at North.”
Students and teachers were encouraged to invite their friends and family to attend and participate in the event.
“I would like for International Night to be promoted more next year,” Alangaden-Nihas said.
“especially because it’s crucial to showcase our cultures, because everyone has a different background, and showing it to people helps them understand and learn more about them.”
“I really like showing off my culture, especially because in the past, people would mistake my ethnicity, and I would have to correct them and tell them that I’m Guatemalan, so I thought that maybe if I showed who I am, then it would inform them of where I come from.” Galindo-Can said.
Although this year it was held in a smaller space, Mariana Galindo-Can believes that the most important thing is to ensure that everyone in the community is safe.
“I really don’t mind if the event is going to be small, because we must ensure that people are safe. However, I would really like people to attend and for International Night to continue to be celebrated in the years to come,” Galindo-Can said.
The day ended with a dance to “Payaso Del Rodeo,” which is always played at the end of International Night, where anyone is welcome to join in and dance.
Junior Melody Bernal hosted the Mexico table along with her mom.
“I had just finished serving all the food at my table, Mexico, and we knew they always play “Payaso del Rodeo” by Caballo Dorado at the end, and once it started playing my sister and I ran to the dance floor,” Bernal said.
“It was nice to dance for a bit after serving food and drinks at my table, and overall it was a very fun night surrounded by culture, family, and friends.”
Lending his support to the students who worked tirelessly to organize the event was teacher and swim coach Cody Fothergill.
“The performances were fantastic. I was pleasantly surprised, as I hadn’t realized there would be entertainment at International Night, so I was truly delighted,” Fothergill said.
“Everything ran very smoothly, and in some ways, I liked the more spacious setting, but a more intimate space kept everyone feeling very connected, which made it easier to chat with people, and in that sense, I felt it was better.”
