Margaret Cartee

Riya Samuel (9) and Ivanya Sadana (9) dance to a Bollywood routine during Monday’s assembly. The Student Diversity Coalition opened the showcase by introducing culture week and promoting events later in the week like a chalk art activity.

Upper school students commenced Culture Week by sharing their cultural traditions through song, dance and poetry during an assembly in the Athletic Center on Monday. 

Student Diversity Coalition leaders Dina Ande (12), Iris Fu (12), Ariana Gauba (11), Ruhan Sahasi (11), Elie Ahluwalia (10) and Arushi Sahasi (10) opened the assembly by introducing Culture Week and highlighting the importance of celebrating the individuality of all cultures as a community. They announced upcoming events throughout the week, including cultural music on Tuesday, food trucks, student-run booths and cultural dress-up on Wednesday, a collaborative map activity in Main Hall on Thursday and a school-wide chalk art piece showcasing cultures on Friday. 

“We started [Culture Week] two years ago, in the hope that we have at least one week to celebrate our community and togetherness, because that’s what culture really is,” Dina said during the assembly. “Everyone here adds something to this whole community, and this week is an opportunity to show what others may not see from you day to day.”

SDC leaders also noted that Director of DEI and SDC Adviser Brian Davis helped expand Culture Week to the lower and middle school campuses. 

David Tang (9) opened the showcase by playing “Dance of the Amei Tribe” on the erhu, a traditional Chinese string instrument. Junior Sam Parupudi and their older brother Arnav Parupudi followed with a vocal duet of a classical Indian carnatic song about their family god. The two perform classical Indian songs for events across the country.

“There is a lot of variety to Indian performances,” Sam said. “There was a lot of diversity today with Bollywood singing, Bollywood dancing, classical Indian. Culture often isn’t what you think it is; oftentimes we reduce culture to stereotypes and just what we see on the surface, but there’s really a lot more.”

Frosh group “The Brownies” performed a Bollywood dance routine choreographed by Ivanya Sadana (9) and Riya Samuel (9). Junior Iris Cai then recited her original poem “Painted Bodies We Give Up” about self-erasure of culture and identity. Harshini Chaturvedula (12) serenaded the audience with the Pakistani pop song “Pasoori,” prompting students to clap along. The song mixes various cultural influences with aspects of classical South Asian music and a modern reggaeton beat.

“Whenever we perform these, it’s a chance to expand from what they know from mainstream ‘American’ music or whatever they listen to,” Harshini said. “Everyone has their own taste, but it’s always nice to experience music of other cultures and what other people are listening to. I hope maybe some people picked up Bollywood or Pakistani music from this.”

SDC Leaders ended the assembly by inviting all student performers and faculty volunteers to the stage and thanking them for their help and participation in Culture Week. 

Upper school mathematics teacher and frosh class dean Jeanette Fernandez shared her thoughts on the upcoming student-led events happening throughout the rest of the week.

“I am looking forward to the booths and exploring every single person’s booth because the students are the ones who are taking ownership of that,” Fernandez said. “They are telling us what they want us to know. Even on Friday, seeing what students have to bring if they want to be a part of the art collab and what things they want to contribute, whether it is a drawing or some type of quote or word.”

Students also listened to a playlist of cultural music on Tuesday outside of Manzanita Hall during lunch. From Jamaican singer Bob Marley and the Wailers’ “One Love / People Get Ready” to Israeli singer Nadav Guedj’s “Golden Boy,” the playlist contained music from various cultures.