After school, on March 19, the Morris Hills student body came together to bond over their unique cultures during the annual Multicultural Dinner in the cafeteria.
Wearing cultural clothes and pieces, like Mexican sombreros, Chinese qiapos, and Polynesian lei, students got together to try out different foods and engage in games from across the globe.
Several of the tables were snack stands, and one of them sold quesadillas! It was set up by Jiya Patel, Yashi Kumar, and Devyani Gaonkarr. Melinda Huang and Carolyn He worked together to set up their stall that focused on Chinese culture.
Mr. Adams and Mrs. Paulson, the advisors of HOPE Club, also helped carry on the activities, alongside other world language teachers.
But, there was much more to bring to the table than just dinner. Underneath the colorful flags above and to the side of other decorations, students got to design their ethnicities’ flag colors on paper masks and their hands, and they even played with face paint. Pheam Sunkapongse and Damian Escobar Vivar were just some of the “feasters” who were extremely excited to do this!
“I was sort of thrusted into attending by merit of being German Club Secretary, but I sure did not regret being there. Getting to learn more about my friends’ cultures and tasting a bit of their upbringing helps bring me closer to my peers in a way I could never have imagined,” Pheam said.
In one of the corners, a henna station table was set. Henna is a dye that people use as an art form in different religions and cultures to put on their body, usually on their hands and arms. It is most commonly called “mehndi,” and it uses intricate patterns to symbolize good luck and fortune.
Singing from the talented senior Tiffany Albornoz, dances, and a violinist’s performance helped pace the mood along until everyone gathered to play musical chairs! Red fold-up chairs were organized, and the competition ended in excitement when the last two contestants tried pulling the chair from each other. They did this with all of their courage and might!
Preparing the day before on the 18th, Gabriela Dominguez was the DJ during the musical chairs, and she selected songs like “Amor Primado” and “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” by Selena, “Blue Hour” by TXT, and the Cupid Shuffle!
She takes pride in her cultural celebrations, like Cinco De Mayo and Días de Las Muertos.
“You’re experiencing this stuff, and it’s like, wow, I’m so happy I got to be here because I’m able to see different cultures and the things they have that they bring with them,” Gaby said.
Recently moving from the Dominican Republic, Tifany believes that “In the United States, we have a lot of diversity. And sometimes you have opportunities like the Multicultural Dinner to just reconnect with yourself.”