Culture Night Was a Success!
March 27, 2023
This past Thursday, March 23rd, Freehold Township High School had its annual culture night.
As International Baccalaureate Students, every person is required to complete a CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) project during our high school experience in order to receive the diploma. This consists of a four-month planning period and alongside Liam Marion, Ava Talwar, and Talia Naum, we decided to plan culture night this year. As done in previous years of performances in the auditorium, we had a slightly different approach for this year’s event. Our idea consisted of tables spread all around the cafeteria in an “all around the world Epcot-like” way. Each table was called a “booth” and had a trifold with facts about a country, religion, or culture, and food. Every fifteen minutes a new performance went on.
Throughout the planning period, we reached out to all FTHS students who were interested in having a booth or performing. We were able to round up 13 different booths and 8 different performances from all around the globe.
After almost six long months of planning, Culture Night was finally here. People immediately came to the event and were amazed by all of the different cultures represented. For example, guests stopped by the Greece booth and tried delicious spanakopita, sipped tea in Ireland, and heard beautiful violin music in Italy. Before any performance began, we had a walk-through of all the different countries represented and had a song playing from their region. This red carpet was a last-minute addition, but it definitely added to the night. After that, we began with a beautiful Tinikling performance which was followed by multiple songs in German, Italian, and Hebrew. Viewers were able to experience a Chinese-yo-yo performance and a South Asian Fusion Dance. In between performances, people walked around and interacted with the booths. So many people dressed up in traditional costumes and served their homemade food. Music from all around the world played overhead so everyone was able to experience the diversity and cultures.
Liam Marion, one of the IB student organizers, says “The effort of everyone involved was incredible! From the performances and the booths to the turn-out and the support from Mayor Alan Walker and the town of Freehold Township, it was a huge success. Just wait and see how big the event will be next year!”
Overall, this event was a great success. Through multiple visitors from the city council, teachers, parents, and students, everyone had a blast! This event was recognized school-wide and we were so happy with the large turnout! Can’t wait for next year!
