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After the final bell rang on Thursday, April 6, a large group of students crowded onto the Viking rug for William Fremd High School’s first-ever multicultural fair.

Once school ended, many of Fremd’s cultural clubs came together to set up booths throughout the main hallway, each filled with various food, activities, and performances. The event attracted many spectators and showcased students’ diverse backgrounds.

Clubs like the Asian American Club, South Asian Student Association, Greek Club, Japanese Club, Muslim Student Association, Latinos Unidos, BLAC Leaders Achievers, Girl Up, PRISM, and American Sign Language Club participated in the multicultural fair. Students from Bulgaria also shared about their culture.

Each club had a trifold board filled with information and photos. After reading the boards, students could enjoy food and drinks, including Thai tea, dalgona candy, biryani, bread with lutenitsa, baked macaroni and cheese, and many other delicacies. The wide assortment of food presented allowed attendees to have many ethnic dishes at once—they could try biscuits from Latinos Unidos and then head over to SASA for some black coffee.

Some stations had a few activities planned out to exhibit their cultural traditions. At SASA’s booth, students could try out mehndi, a paste commonly used to decorate the body for weddings or religious occasions. The AAC set out some brushes and ink for those who wanted to attempt calligraphy—a practice historically used as a form of penmanship and art. The Muslim Student Association let participants try on traditional clothing like hijabs. Some clubs also set up games, such as Mancala and Carrom.

AAC President Alexandra Lu found the multicultural fair to be a rewarding experience.

“AAC is excited to have participated in such a successful event celebrating Fremd’s diverse range of cultures,” Lu said. “We were particularly happy with the large turnout at the AAC tables.”

The Multicultural Expo not only allowed students to learn more about different cultures but about their community as well. The American Sign Language Club taught spectators how to spell out simple words and phrases in sign language. PRISM took the fair as an opportunity to spread gender awareness by asking trivia like, “What is the difference between gender identity and gender expression?” If one answered the question right, they could then spin a wheel for candy. Furthermore, Girl Up’s station had a board where students could write down the name of a woman who inspires them.

In addition to the festivities, students could get a small slip of paper or a “passport” at the front desk. If they visited each station and filled their passports with stamps, they could be entered into a raffle to win a grand prize. 

Afterward, there were a few performances by some of Fremd’s own students. Two members of AAC took to the stage to demonstrate a part of Tae Kwon Do known as form. Next, BLAC Leaders Achievers performed a partner dance. AAC also had a separate set of performers dance to “Tell Me” by New Jeans. Finally, the Greek Club went around in circles while grooving to music. By the end of the show, students—including those who were not a part of any clubs—joined the group on stage. 

BLAC Leaders Achievers President Kyler Johnson recounted how he felt as he watched peers discover each other’s cultural backgrounds.

“There is a very strong connection among students and this event allowed a multitude of them to explore the rich diversity that makes the nation of the school,” Johnson said.

Thanks to the strong turnout and feedback for this year’s Multicultural Fair, Student Equity Team Co-President Munya Noman looks ahead to next year.

“We are planning to have a bigger celebration—hopefully during school hours with more performances!” Noman said.