Taiwan. France. South Korea. Jamaica. These are just some of the many countries showcased at WCHS’s 2nd annual International Night on March 23. Hosted by the International Student Alliance, WCHS students had the opportunity to celebrate and share their culture with others through a variety of food, music and performances. 

“International Night provides an environment for people of different backgrounds to appreciate one another’s cultures and to learn new ones,” WCHS junior Chelsea Tsui said. “Something new and interesting I learned was that Taiwan created bubble tea.”

International Night gives students the chance to experience countless different cultures right in their very own cafeteria. To do this, WCHS students volunteered to represent a country and showcase their cultural backgrounds through delectable dishes and colorful country table displays. 

“Trying all of the new and delicious food was definitely the biggest highlight of International Night. I loved the food from Jamaica, especially the jerk chicken,” Tsui said. 

Along with indulging in mouth watering flavors and learning about interesting facts, attendees of International Night also viewed and participated spectacular cultural performances. 

“I got to represent South Korea during International Night. We performed a Korean fan dance and played the buk (Korean traditional drum),” WCHS junior Hannah Choi said. “I decided to perform in International Night because it seemed like a fun performance to share my culture.”

Choi’s dance group met once a week to prepare and clean up their routine for International Night. Their successful performance and roaring applause from the audience proved that their hard work and determination paid off. 

“It was great to see that the crowd not only consisted of students, but also parents, siblings, grandparents and staff,” Choi said. “It really shows how much everyone at WCHS cares about celebrating our different cultures. I think they really enjoyed our performance too!”

Since the WCHS community is so diverse, many students view International Night as such a meaningful event because it encourages students to learn about, celebrate and embrace these cultural differences.

“Our various cultures and backgrounds are what makes us unique,” Choi said. “International Night is a great way for students like me to explore my culture and other cultures. It’s so cool to be a part of this new tradition at WCHS, and I hope it continues for years to come!”