One of the most anticipated events of the year is finally back. Multicultural Night was an amazing event, giving students and families a chance to wear cultural outfits, experience food from around the world and watch an amazing variety of performances. The event took place on April 4th, from 6pm to 8:30pm and was open to everyone, not just Howard County students. Tickets were five dollars and included five tickets for food and games.
The event included performances in the auditorium from 6pm to 7pm, food stands from different clubs in the commons and cafeteria and even activities. Some clubs that featured food stands were South Asian Club, Spanish Club, Korean Club and Italian Club, among others.
Activities that were available were face painting, trivia, a raffle and music. There was even a photobooth this year. With all variety, there was definitely something for everyone to enjoy.
“I had a lot of fun this year at Multicultural Night and got to try some foods I had never had before, such as jollof rice and samosas. They were both really good,” senior Natalie Shin shared.
While the festival itself is very eventful, the planning can be a busy and stressful time for club members, and the teachers running the event. Annually, French teacher Ms. Reier has put together the event, and was luckily able to have help from Spanish teacher Mrs. Littmann this year.
“The most difficult part about planning is the fact that I have five classes to teach this year, so that leaves very little time for planning. We are also not compensated for the event. Having Ms. Littmann this year has been a big help, along with my student aids,” Ms. Reier explained.
In addition, the time of year can be stressful for performances as well, as it takes weeks to prepare, especially for larger groups. However, the work results in a wonderful set of performances with a lot of variety from many different cultures. Some examples were the K-Pop Trio, Naacho Dance Team and Spanish Club. Many different types of performances took place, such as dance performances, singing and musical instruments.
“The performance itself went well and looking into the crowd, they were very hype and cheered us on. I felt like we were all into the dance and performed well,” member of Naacho Dance Team and senior Rithvik Maturi explained.
Many students have participated in performances for many years and find it extremely fun and a good way to bond with friends.
“I think the performances are a great way for students to express themselves and share their culture with the rest of the school. I love participating,” member of Bollywood Dance Club and junior Saathvika Velamala said.
Planning for the event, while stressful for some, was also fun for others, as it gave them a chance to connect with their club and present their culture to others.
“We met a lot after school and also talked in class about our plans for this year. We took inspiration from things we did last year. The Italian Club had pasta that [my friend] and I made, and juice too,” senior Gwen Montgomery stated.
Overall, the culture-filled event is a way for people to showcase their traditions uniquely, and allows people to experience the diverse community at MRHS. Multicultural Night is an event many people look forward to every single year and will talk about for weeks to come.