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Cultures from all over the world were represented at the Multicultural Assembly on April 10. The assembly was a coordinated effort among GEO advisors Ramsay Westgate, Mai Lien Nguyen, Carol Zink and Kevin Lum Lung, as well as Natasha Jeswani, Gr. 12, and Niti Shahi, Gr. 11, the assembly’s main student organizers.
All around the Saratoga gym, booths were set up representing several countries from each continent. Many of the booths contained informational displays and samples of native foods.
Students spent about 20 minutes learning about the various nations and enjoying their native treats, before a series of per formances got underway. Seniors Mai Nguyen and Amaresh Shukla served as emcees, providing amusing banter between acts.
Up first were juniors Jackie Ho and Melinda Wang, who sang, danced and rapped in their native language of Chinese. Next, US math teacher Gabriele Stahl wowed the assembly crowd by tango dancing with a professional dance partner. Continuing the European excursion was the Cantilena choir group, led by US music teacher Susan Nace on piano. Their French song, “Ouvre ton coeur,” was very well-received.
Nidhi Gandhi, Gr. 10, then offered a glimpse of her culture by per forming a classical Indian dance with crowd-pleasing grace and precision. It was then time for a brief trek to Germany, as US biology teacher Matthew Harley sang a tune in German, driven by a very familiar melody from Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”
Another Chinese song and dance number was up next, this time from singers Susan Wang, Gr. 12, and juniors Katrina Kao and Roslyn Li. Dancers Christine Yu, Gr. 12 and Adrienne Wong, Gr. 11, provided some splendid visual enhancement, while sophomore James Du accompanied the per formance on piano.
Although Harker’s student body houses many talents, several in attendance at the assembly were no doubt surprised to learn that the school even has its own Celtic harpist in Catherine Stiles, Gr. 10, who per formed an otherworldly tune.
Vrinda Goel, Gr. 10, then offered a show of her splendid vocal prowess by singing an aria from Mozart’s “Requiem” in Latin, her voice traveling clearly and elegantly throughout the gym.
To bring things to a rousing finish, Nguyen and the varsity dancers per formed an exciting, well-choreographed and coordinated routine to a pair of upbeat Korean pop songs.