Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, marked the first day of Berkeley High School’s Multicultural Week, a school-wide event celebrating the variety of cultures and cultural clubs at BHS. Students participated in and viewed performances from the African Diaspora Dance Program, song and dance from the Mandarin class, and an activity from the Multilingual Program.
The majority of club appearances, music, and food stands were held on Wednesday and Friday. Booths from clubs including the South and Southeast Asian Club (SSEA) and Asian Pacific Islander Club (APIC) lined the performance space to present club information and interactive activities.
The fair was largely organized and executed by Jessica Hipona, the BHS commissioner of multicultural affairs, who reached out to a variety of clubs to organize activities.
“I really wanted to provide a platform for different clubs and cultural acts because I feel like most of the things that are culture-centered at this school aren’t usually seen,” said Hipona. “I feel it’s really important to provide that kind of platform because I’d like to work towards making a more inclusive space.”
Whether through music, food, or performance, students were able to showcase their culture and in turn learn about the cultures of their peers. Hipona, in describing her process of creating the fair, said, “I reached out to a lot of different clubs that I knew represented specific cultures, as well as ones that were culturally related.”
Shrinath Sriram, the vice president and co-founder of the South and Southeast Asian Club at BHS, worked at a club booth at the fair. The SSEA is the first club representing South and Southeast Asian students at BHS. Their mission is to educate BHS students about South and Southeast Asian cultures and history.
“I’m most interested in showing people our club and really showing them that we’re here for the South and Southeast Asian community and that we really want to have a chance to educate people about our culture,” said Sriram.
Sriram also said that he learned from the other cultures at the fair as well. He highlighted how important it is to understand and interact with a multitude of cultures.
“I go to a couple of clubs that are from other cultures,” said Sriram. “I go to the Third Culture Club once in a while. (SSEA) collaborated with APIC. We’re hoping to do one with the Muslim Student Association.”
Another student discussed the fun she had participating in a multitude of activities at the fair. Camille Jacala, a member of the Asian Pacific Islander club, said she enjoyed participating in the multitude of activities at the fair.
“We had fun … giving a little taste of what our club does at the fair,” said Jacala. “I was standing by our table the entire time and it was right next to performances. It was cool to see what they were working on. I personally really liked the Afro-Asian dance performance.”