On March 5th, Glenbard East hosted District 87’s third annual Multicultural Night where clubs from all four Glenbards came together to showcase their different cultures. The performances varied throughout the night, including singing, dancing and showcasing different cultural outfits.
Mr. Haresh Harpalani, the club sponsor for Asian Initiative club at Glenbard South, came up with a way for all the different cultures in the club to be represented together during their performance. “We wanted to figure out how we could get as many people on stage at one time,” he explained. “And so we thought of a fashion show!”
Glenbard South’s Asian Initiative club also performed a fashion show last year at Multicultural Night, but this year’s show featured a few changes. “We did that last year when everybody walked out and then we did a little bit of dancing, and people loved it,” said Mr. Harpalani. In response to the support they received last year, the club changed the structure of their fashion show to include more dancing to better show off all of the different cultures of the group.
“The past and present members of Asian Initiative convinced me to take part in this year’s festivities,” said Haley Wong, a Glenbard South junior who participated in this year’s Multicultural Night. “I remember being hesitant to participate in multicultural celebrations in my years as an underclassman, so I wanted to step up this year as a potential role model for anyone who may feel the same,” she explained.
The auditorium was packed full of other students and family members all coming to support the different clubs. Because all four Glenbards were included, it was a great opportunity to see the cultures at each school and cheer them on too. “I saw many different dances and performances that were so enjoyable,” said Audrey Biancalana, a junior at Glenbard South. “However, my favorite part of multicultural night was definitely getting to see many of my friends share different elements of their culture on stage,” she added.
Erika Hartman, a senior at Glenbard South, also went to support the different clubs performing that night. “I love how multicultural night not only shows off the art, dance and music from all origins, but also celebrates the diverse students the Glenbard district boasts,” she explained, adding that her favorite performances included: “the fan dance, k-pop showcase, Raas Indian dance, and of course Glenbard South’s very own Fashion show!”
Multicultural Night was a great way for students to showcase their different cultures, and was extremely enjoyable for everyone to watch. Throughout every performance the crowd’s energy was high, and everyone was truly there to support one another. “It’s a chance for them [students] to show their pride, wear their pride and just represent their culture, and people were so excited to do it,” said Mr. Harpalani. “People are just so thrilled to do it. They’re thrilled to be there. They’re thrilled to support their friends. It’s awesome.”
