Every year, Chamblee High School hosts an international night to celebrate students’ diversity. During International Night, Chamblee High’s Fine Arts building is set up with stands from countries across the world, allowing students to taste foods from many cultures. Students have the opportunity to watch cultural performances and get a glimpse at unique traditions. Due to the popularity of International Night, it takes many hands to set up and plan. Students have the opportunity to volunteer through different programs to help the night run smoothly. For example, students from the Spanish Honor Society helped pass out food and candies.
“It was actually pretty fun. We had shifts where we could go and try other foods,” said Ava Gainer (‘27). “I really liked eating the French treats.”
Each country had a table where students could taste delicious cultural food.
“Every country’s food was so good. I especially liked Guatemala; the empanadas were really good,” said Vanessa Cruz (‘27), who performed with Mexico later that night.
Some students who attended in previous years noted the differences between this year and last year.
“I feel like things were more organized last year,” said Scarlett McGrath (‘27), “especially in terms of food. I feel like they ran out of food quicker this year.”
After students went around the Fine Arts building trying different foods, they made their way to the auditorium, where they had the opportunity to watch performances from different cultures.
“I performed for Nicaragua … it ended up looking good,” said Anyoli Marteniz (‘27). “My favorite part was the dress I wore. I just love how it flows.”
Many make it a tradition to attend International Night every year; it’s the perfect opportunity to see friends and learn about the different ethnicities at Chamblee.
“I absolutely loved dancing this year. This was the best year because I had so many friends who participated… I really loved it,” said Shreya Sehgal (‘26).
While some of the performers weren’t nervous at all, some said they were worried before they went on. Luckily, the students watching had plenty of energy, and the performances went well.
“The crowd had really good energy, which made it a very energetic performance,” said Hansika Dinasarapu (‘25).
The performances were a part of a competition judged by Gina Rios, a Spanish teacher at Chamblee. After their high-energy performance, America came out on top.
“I performed for America,” said Zander Sellars (‘27). “I was very nervous, but then I prayed to God to take the nervousness away, and we did really good… we got first place.”
The food and performances at International Night are more than just a tasty snack or source of entertainment, they allows students to share and celebrate their culture.
Sarah Fadjariza Dumais (‘27) said, “I think it’s important that [students] get this opportunity to share their culture and discover food and dance from other cultures. It’s nice to see everyone being so supportive during the dances, too.”
