International Week is an important event for the Walter Johnson community. With over 3,000 students, the school boasts an impressive amount of cultures to celebrate, and the event is often highly anticipated. Students had the opportunity to visit the student commons during lunch and learn about a new set of countries and cultures every day.
“This is a cultural showcase,” junior Yibela Gebretsadik said. “It represents all the diverse cultures that we have in WJ that might go under the radar.”
On Monday, the event’s first day, the student communities represented were South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The presenters started by setting up their tables and preparing posters, food and cultural items. There were drinks such as soda, flowers, hats, maps and bread.
The next day featured African, Oceanic and Pacific islands cultures. The presenters prepared posters for each community, which included famous places that tourists can visit to learn more as well as images and information about famous people from the areas.
Wednesday saw a focus on African and Middle Eastern cultures, and featured presenters dancing and wearing cultural clothes. The Lebanon table offered food like hummus, manakish, and kibbeh nayyeh, as well as sauce to put on bread and meat specific to Lebanon.
The Rwandan table also showcased the key parts of their culture.
“I’m representing Rwanda, which is my country, with my friends,” sophomore Kayla Isaro Mitali said. “We are also representing our club called RHA, and we’re showing our culture, food and games.”
On Thursday, students got the chance to learn about European and North American cultures. Presenters wore cowboy clothes, and information about America’s history along with prominent historical and cultural facts were on display.
“I chose the USA because we have the most Olympic medals, wins, and qualifiers,” sophomore Naomi Seifu said.
In addition, the Ukraine table boasted a large flag, the Ukrainian candy “Crazy Bee”, a famous cultural doll, and information about important cultural events and locations.
The week’s festivities culminated in a showcase performance on Friday after the half-day.
