On April 4, students gathered in the Alexandria City High School auditorium for the highly anticipated International Night, known as I Night. The event, primarily organized by students, is a celebration of the many cultures and backgrounds that can be found among the students of ACHS. From traditional dances to original poems, students and parents got to enjoy performances from all around the world.
“International Night is incredibly important at such a huge school,” said Perla Cabrera Torres, one of the student directors. “We have so much diversity that isn’t acknowledged much, so this night it’s just an incredible night where a lot of dedicated people that are proud of their culture get to showcase that.”
Within the ACHS student body, over 127 languages are spoken and over 119 countries are represented.
The event, put together by students and lead by Global Studies Academy Lead Carmen Canales, featured cultures from numerous ACHS clubs, including: The African Student Association, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), Black Student Union, Chinese Club, Ethiopian & Eritrean Club, Global Studies Academy, Heart of Asia, International Academy, Latinos Unidos, Latinos 4 Latinos, Muslim Student Association and the Promoting Academic Success for Afghans Club & Social Justice Club.
“I am so excited to be at I Night this year,” said Executive Principal Alexander Duncan. “I told one of my colleagues, one of our strengths as a high school, truly, is our diversity and an event like this allowed us to showcase that, so I’m so excited.”
As well as showcasing a wide variety of cultures, students performed through various mediums. The show opened with a fashion show featuring students dressed in their traditional cultural clothing. Three soloists— Kurt Campos, Yonathan Portillo, and Jefferson Maravilla — followed, each performing songs in Spanish, with one accompanying himself on guitar.
After the final song, students rushed out of the auditorium and excitedly headed for the cafeteria, where each cultural club had a stand offering food. With cuisine from Puerto Rico, Ethiopia and more, guests filled their plates and ate as much as they could before the 30-minute intermission ended.
“Today we’re selling Jollibee, Thai tea and different Asian snacks,” said senior Arin Storks, who is a member of the AAPI Student Union. “We have Hi-Chew, Korean rice cakes and Japanese rice crackers. Each of our members come from all different Asian countries, so it’s important to celebrate all different types of Asian countries.”
“The students are so lively,” said earth science teacher Carla Macuri. “My favorite part of the night is when they swarm in to buy food.”
The second half of the show began with a poem performed by Jada Campbell, followed by dances from each club. Students in the audience cheered and hollered as each performer took the stage and showcased their heritage.
After the dances, Darwin Salazar, president of Latinos 4 Latinos and co-host of I-Night, performed an original poem titled “Our Latino Beauty.” With lines such as, “Oh how amazing it is to be Latino, to carry the sun in our skin, the rhythm of drums in our heartbeat, and the whispers of our ancestors in the wind,” the poem was a moving representation of Latino pride.
The final performance of the evening was the Ethiopian & Eritrean Club’s Wedding Dance which was a crowd favorite. The show ended with every performer of the night joining the dance and closing the show.
“I think I-Night is really exciting because it’s only once a year and it’s a place for us all,” said Amel Mohamed, a student performer who represented Moroccan culture. “I’ve been working really hard at decorating, and I think it’s really fun that we can showcase our unity and how diverse this school is.”
“Tonight is not just another event,” said campus administrator Ashley Carter-Sinclair. “Tonight is a celebration of the world, right here in our building. The rhythms of Africa, the flavors of Central America, the colors of South Asia, the warmth of the Middle East— all of it is here because you are here. What binds us together is not our sameness; it is our solidarity.”
