Take a trip around the world Saturday! No passport is needed, and you can leave your luggage at home.
The Diversity Club, French Club and Spanish Club from Crawfordsville High School will host Culture Night. It is a night full of food, music and games highlighting the different customs and traditions from around the world.
“Culture Night is a night of opportunity,” said senior Mia Freeman, Spanish Club president. “It allows people to celebrate their heritage, and as a society, it allows us to stay engaged and informed.”
She hopes the event will teach people about cultures around the world and why they matter.
Junior Nevaeh Byard created the Cultural Diversity Club at Crawfordsville High School and hopes it extends to all of Montgomery County. Byard is excited about the event because it helps break down barriers by experiencing different customs and traditions in a safe environment.
“The night allows us to highlight a mix of cultures, not just our race,” she said. “We can show how diverse backgrounds influence our own cultures.”
The event will feature unusual types of food for guests to sample.
“I am making eclairs to represent France,” said student leader Chet Kinkead. “It will be my first time making them, and it will be fun.” Kinkead and a friend are also preparing two Indian dishes, Samosa and Chicken Tikka Masala. The Chicken Tikki Masala is a food that truly represents the “blending of cultures” celebrated by the night. This dish was developed by Indian cooks living in Great Britain. The “tikka” part is the yogurt-marinated chicken pieces roasted in the oven. The masala of the dish is the creamy sauce. Masala was added to the original tikka to satisfy the British love of gravy over meat.
Live and recorded music will be featured, as well as traditional dances and games. The entire event is student developed under the direction of the school’s art and foreign language teachers. Culture Night is free and open to the public. It is from 7-9 p.m. at CHS. Students hope to make this an annual event.
