International Night Offers a Winsor World Tour

International Night returned to the Brock-Wilson Gymnasium this week for its biggest year yet. The event was a celebration of the many cultures, traditions, and cuisines that come together to form the Winsor community. Across 40 tables, more than 120 participants—students and their families, as well as faculty and staff—offered some 300 attendees small, meaningful glimpses into treasured cultural touchstones.

The deeply collaborative effort brought together the student, faculty, staff, and parent communities; it was hosted by the Student Equity Board (SEB)—which is advised by World Languages Faculty Caroline Burke and Director of Community and Inclusion Julian Braxton—and the Parents’ Association, in partnership with the Advancement team and Mr. Braxton’s Department of Community and Inclusion. This year’s theme, selected by the SEB, was “Our Cultures Intertwined,” highlighting the rich, blended cultures within our community.

“International Night captures what is at the heart of the Winsor community: the gift of sharing, and the gift of learning…and the gift of delicious food and treats from around the world!” said Head of School Meredith Legg P’32, who experienced her first International Night this week. “From dance and mahjong lessons to displays of textiles, artifacts, and photos, this special evening of celebration reminds us that what makes us unique is also what makes our close-knit community so special.”

The tables’ themes were as diverse as our community itself. Some tables represented individual national and regional cultures: Eritrea, Japan, Brazil, China, Greece, Georgia, Hong Kong, Colombia, Goa, Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Ukraine, Austria, Egypt, Libya, Finland, New Zealand, Singapore, Pakistan, the Kingdom of Hawaii, Korea, Italy, Palestine, India, Ethiopia, Bulgaria, and England. Others represented a multicultural experience: Somalia and Ethiopia, Nigeria and the West Indies, Nigeria and Norway, Morocco and Algeria, Taiwan and Vietnam. And still others were run by student affinity groups such as First Generation Experience (First Gen) and SOMOS.

To promote deeper engagement with each table, the SEB distributed custom bingo cards with various prompts whose answers could be found by visiting and learning about each table. Those who completed their cards could redeem them for Panther or Jaguar points, in the spirit of some friendly intra-Winsor competition.

Across these tables, activities and experiences varied widely. Attendees could learn to write their names in hieroglyphs at the Egypt table, use country-themed photo booths for Finland and England, learn about the Bulgarian tradition of crafting wristbands called “martenichka” to ward off Baba Marta’s (“Grandma March”) bad moods, or sample an array of Indian spices, among many options.

And the fun didn’t stay contained to the tables. Winsor affinity group SISTERS invited Afrobeats Dance Boston to join the festivities for a performance and workshop. The dance company, which celebrates contemporary African pop music and dance styles, transformed the gym into a dance party as they led a tutorial session for guests.

Fatima Zia P’32 joined her daughter, Aleena ’32, in hosting the Pakistan table for the second year in a row. She says that “the fact that [Aleena] feels so excited and comfortable sharing that part of her life with her peers, and seeing the Winsor community curiously supporting that reinforces that we are definitely in the right place for our daughter…Feeling comfortable to ask questions, navigate differences, and respectfully interact with the community are amazing experiences we are always happy to support in any way. In today’s climate, any seed of respect, curiosity, and connection should be cultivated.”

As for the work of hosting a table, Fatima said, “Seeing her light up sharing foods, experiences, and clothing with her Winsor community make it such as easy ask. For me, it’s an added bonus to help with tables—I get to meet so many different members of the community and making those connections is always a pleasure!”

Ulli Sitter P’30, ’32 helped her daughter Anna host the Austria table for the second year running. “I find it wonderful to celebrate each other’s cultural backgrounds by tasting all these different delicious foods and learning about other countries,” she said. “For children growing up in the United States with different cultural backgrounds, it gives them the opportunity to be proud of seeing the world also from a different angle, not just the American lens, and appreciate that there are many ways to live.”

“Especially teenagers often want to just fit in and not be different,” she continued. “Winsor’s International Night might help them be proud of their own heritage and make them realize that many of us grow up speaking different languages at home and enjoying home-cooked specialties which were passed on by generations.” This year, those specialties included the Linzer cookies and apfelstrudel that Anna baked and offered at the table. And Ulli said Anna “already has plans for next year’s table.”