By SHEA RANGI
Staff Writer
UHS held Intercultural week, from February 20 to February 23, in an effort to celebrate the culture and diversity that inhabits the campus on a daily basis. On different days of the week, students gathered at the crossroads for various events showcasing a variety of cultures. Seniors Nima Rezaeian and Andrew Li worked to prepare the events for the week. “I believe that intercultural week [was] a great way to showcase the diversity at Uni, where we have over 10 cultural clubs and students from all around the world,” said ASB member Nima Rezaeian.
On Tuesday UHS dance company performed a wide range of dances. Hawaiian, Indian, Korean and Latin dances were performed by solo and group dancers. “I had a lot of fun doing the bhangra piece because it was a new style, and I always have fun celebrating different cultures,” said junior Kashvi Ranjan.
Dancers at UHS worked hard in order to put on the performance. “Performing for intercultural week [was] incredible, we [had] been preparing this performance for weeks and it [was] amazing to know the audience loved it and our hard work paid off,” said junior Teagan So. “For me, intercultural week means celebrating the diversity we have here at Uni, and you don’t have to be from a certain culture to embrace it and learn about it.”
A group of students put together a musical performance later in the week. “We had to find a lot of music last minute, and chose a traditional folk song that was transcribed, as well as a Spanish song and a Japanese song,” said senior Jean Park. “We wanted to show how music goes across the cultures.”
The music played was largely recognizable. “One of the songs the group played [was] from a popular Japanese movie called [My Neighbor] Totoro,” said junior Marian Lu. “People feel pride when they can recognize their cultures.”
To conclude intercultural week, a fashion show was held during lunch on Friday which included booths set up by culture clubs. “I got a henna tattoo from the Southeast Asian club, and honestly it [was] the most beautiful thing I [had] ever seen,” said sophomore Xylia Medina.
The fashion show took place outside the big theater, with a red carpet extending outwards on which individuals walked, showcasing their outfits. “I really enjoyed the experience of showing everyone a glimpse of the Vietnamese culture by showing our traditional dresses, like Aó Dái, [a silk tunic worn over pants]” said VSA president Nick Lay.
“The fashion show today exposed me to the different cultures at this school and made me feel proud to be in such a diverse school,” said sophomore Audrey Tran.
