On November 4, more than 400 members of the UPrep community came together to participate in Culture Night. This annual event, hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, was an opportunity to learn about, share, and celebrate the many cultures within our
community that comprise the diversity of our school.

In addition to a potluck in the Lower Commons featuring foods from around the globe, the event included over a dozen sharing and learning tables hosted by students, parents, guardians, faculty, and staff. At a table hosted by the Latine Student Union, guests heard about Latine culture and sampled a variety of sweets, including pan dulce and agua fresca. Other tables included a display of Korean artifacts and a ramen sampling, an opportunity to learn about Jewish history and try an array of Jewish comfort foods, and a tasting of pastitsio, a Greek baked pasta dish.

Participants were invited to join half a dozen workshops, including Chinese calligraphy, Colombian dance, and Lotería, a popular game played in Latin America. The evening culminated with six performances in Founders Hall that included the Kotokoli cultural dance from Togo, West Africa; Ghagra, an Indian dance performance; and flamenco, a dance from southern Spain.

“Culture can be anything from religion and language to customs and traditions—anything that is passed down from generation to generation. For example, there was an LGBTQ+ culture table and a Francophone table,” said Taylor Kanemori, director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. “One goal of this annual event is to remind our community that everyone has a culture. Celebrating our differences, whether grand or subtle, fosters understanding and belonging, and makes our community stronger.”