William Fremd High School will play host to over 2,000 students from a diverse variety of backgrounds. After school on Thursday, April 6, the Fremd Student Equity Team is setting up a Multicultural Expo in the downstairs science hallway to showcase this diversity and help promote equity.

The Expo will primarily be run by some of Fremd’s many cultural clubs, including American Sign Language Club, Asian American Club, BLAC Leaders Achievers, Girl Up, Greek Club, Japanese Club, PRISM, Latinos Unidos, Muslim Student Association, South Asian American Club, as well as several Bulgarian students. These clubs will represent their ethnicities with food, dance, music, and other methods of cultural expression.

At tables set up by the Asian American Club, students can participate in calligraphy, mehndi, and congklak, a traditional game known by numerous names worldwide, including wari, adi, and mancala, while learning about South, East, and Southeast Asian culture.

The Muslim Student Association is also planning to provide participants with the chance to become familiarized with traditional clothing like salwaar, thobes, and abaya and try on hijabs of different styles. At the same time, Sign Language Club will educate students on how to sign the alphabet and simple questions and answers like “what is your name?” and “how are you?”

Girl Up will also participate in the activities, allowing people to share about the women who have inspired them, and Greek Club will display their favorite traditional recipes for participants to try. There will also be chances to win prizes from ASL Club, Girl Up, and Greek Club for demonstrating knowledge of their individual identities.

The Expo will also serve as an educational tool, providing attendees with valuable knowledge about their community. For example, PRISM will share information about LGBTQ concepts, Girl Up will introduce participants to women worldwide, and ASL Club will teach about deaf culture and etiquette.

In addition, the Viking rug will be transformed by a number of cultural dances and performances by students from Asian American Club and BLAC Leaders Achievers Club, as well as music from Greek Club. From viewing tables set up by the various clubs and cultures, participants will get to taste food from BLAC Leaders Achievers Club, Asian American Club, Greek Club, and the MSA.

Among this cultural expression comes opportunities for members of the Fremd community to be educated on the diversity around them. The Student Equity Team, which is running the Expo, hopes that this educational experience will also lead to greater understanding and acceptance among students of different backgrounds.

“As an equity team, we believe that spreading knowledge about the diverse culture would ensure equity amongst students,” said the co-president of the team, junior Munya Noman.