Students shared different cultures and traditions through performances at the Multicultural Assembly on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, held at the stage in the lunch area after not occurring last year due to a lack of club participation.
Originally meant to be an annual event, the assembly did not occur last year due to the lack of clubs participating. Similarly, in 2024, the event was held as a performing arts assembly, as not enough culture clubs participated once again. This year, out of the six culture clubs on campus, three volunteered to be a part of the assembly. What used to be a large event taking place at the Performing Arts Center with many clubs participating, significantly reduced after the pandemic and is being slowly brought back with more clubs participating. Three clubs participated at this event: Folklorico, Halo-Halo and Swing club. Folklorico performed traditional Mexican dances, Halo-Halo promoted Filipino culture and Swing club taught students Swing dances.
According to the Inter-Club Council Committee, planning for the location and format of the event started a few months before the assembly itself. In 2023, the assembly was held in a pep rally-style, where students attended with their respective classes and watched the performances. However, because it featured both the Performing Arts groups and cultural clubs, the attention shifted away from the diverse cultures being presented. In hopes of more students being able to be directly exposed to diverse cultures and their traditions, the assembly was moved to the lunch area.
However, this hiatus also furthered the interest of students in hopes of being able to participate and share the work of their club. Each club used this as an opportunity to share unique aspects of dance from their culture, such as Halo-Halo using two bamboo sticks to perform “Tinikling,” a traditional folk dance.
“It’s not only sharing our culture, but also renewing our name as the club that danced all the time in assemblies in front of the whole school,” Halo-Halo club member senior Mandy Dela Paz said. “It was nice to see that people really appreciate the way that our people dance, and the way we present it in front of people.”
Each of the clubs prepared a song around three minutes long that allowed performers to showcase a traditional dance, with some being dances choreographed by students themselves. For Swing Club, the song “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse was selected as the preparation began in November and continued throughout the year.
“Teaching students the [choreography] was a really fun experience, because our club isn’t that big, and a lot of us are friends in it so we’re able to get really close. Being able to teach [the choreography] was really fun, even though the made it stressful,” Swing Club president senior Sydney Wagoner said. “I think overall, we did really well and I’m really proud of our club, because this is the second time [I have been able to] do the Multicultural Fair. I’m glad that we were able to do it this year, because [a lot of our club officers] are all seniors, and so being able to end the club [year] with a big performance is nice.”
To look cohesive, some clubs, such as Folklorico, ensured that all dancers had the same outfits. Outfits for Folklorico included light blue blouses, jean skirts, and western boots, while Swing Club coordinated by having members wear attire traditionally worn: black and white clothes.
“We wanted to showcase different types of dances, since we have already done a lot of types [in the past], like Jalisco and Veracruz, and so we thought we should do ‘Baja California,’ which is what we did with our boots. We get [our traditional wear] from Mexico and shipped by family members,” Folklorico club member sophomore Marisa Francia said.
The assembly’s purpose was to showcase different cultures’ traditions and highlight the diversity on campus, as well as showcase the depth and variety each one has.
“Our club performed to showcase more about [what we do], how it’s fun, and how showing off your culture shouldn’t be something you’re embarrassed of, it should be something you embrace,” Francia said.
