Intercultural Leadership partnered with various cultural clubs to host its annual International Week this past week. Each day offered students an opportunity to explore a different culture, with respective clubs celebrating their heritage through food, arts, music, and more.
Black Culture Day
The week kicked off with Black Culture Day, celebrated by the Black Student Union (BSU). The club served traditional proteins, sides, and desserts, with students having the ability to mix and match for a combo plate. The menu ranged from mac and cheese to pound cake, with a variety of flavors available.
BSU had help from staff members and family as they individually prepared the dishes and planned the event. “It was a lot of work because the food we cooked was homemade, so people were coming into the community kitchen and cooking or they were cooking at home,” junior and BSU President Ashley Mosey said.
Asian Culture Day
Asian Culture Day continued the cultural festivities with fun and engaging activities. The day featured the Asian Culture Club, Japanese Culture Club, Chinese Culture Club, South Asian Cultures Club, and Taiwanese Culture Club.
“I love to bring food because it’s a great way for people to learn about the culture,” junior Siena Sharma, South Asian Cultures Club President said. “I [tried] to decorate my table to show some important parts of my culture. For example, I often decorate using marigolds because they are a sacred flower in my culture.”
The Asian Culture Club and Taiwanese Culture Club presented various games, in which students had to pick up rice, macaroni, and beans using chopsticks in order to earn candy.
The highlight of Asian Culture Day was the Japanese Culture Club. They sold onigiri, Japanese rice balls, in three separate flavors: Original, noritama, and tuna mayo. Students rushed to try the traditional comfort food, and the club sold out in less than 15 minutes.
Latin American Culture Day
Wednesday represented Latin American Cultures with Latinos Unidos de M-A (LUMA). The club had a vibrant colored piñata station and a face painting station ran by club members. They also served custom dishes like Tamales, Arroz Con Leches, and Agua Frescas.
“Seeing how the community came in together, how long the line was and the attraction we got from it, that was probably the best part,” junior and LUMA club member Kaylee Conde said.
Pacific Islander Culture Day
On Pacific Islander Culture Day, students gathered at the Green to watch the Poly Club’s performance. The club members performed a variety of traditional dances, prompting loud cheers from the crowd.
“Gathering together, seeing who wants to dance for and represent our culture and seeing our M-A community, family, and friends come over to see our hard work and what we’ve been practicing for, that’s my most favorite part,” senior and Poly Club member Anja Motuiki said. Motuiki has participated in M-A’s Poly Club since sophomore year.
The Poly Club will be performing at the Spring Rally.
All Cultures Day
The festive week closed with a celebration of all cultures on Friday. Asian Culture Club sold two popular flavors of boba tea, brown sugar and taro milk teas, which sold out in nearly 10 minutes. Other clubs like the Gay Straight Alliance, BSU, and Jewish Student Union participated with colorful and informative activities.
“I love all the people and the environment. There’s so many smiles on everyone’s face. Everyone’s so willing to hear and learn about other cultures. And I think that’s really cool,” senior and Jewish Student Union Vice President Liri Maoz said.
The event wrapped up in a great success. Each day was as lively as the last, and the cultural celebrations drew in students from all across campus.
“Something that really makes this school special is the diversity,” senior and Leadership student Caroline Rose said. Rose joined the committee her freshman year, and has been helping organize International Week ever since. “So being able to have a celebration that represents what makes us M-A is super important. [International Week] is a great way to represent diversity and bring the community together,” she said.
