International Night offered  participants a small taste of cultures different from their own.

The March 18 event combined two traditional events,  Japan Night and Noche Latina, into one festival. A few smaller clubs were also involved, including the Asian American Student Union (AASU), Black Student Union (BSU), Muslim Student Union (MSU), and History Club.

Japan Night was held in the commons. A stage was set up in the middle with music and other performances throughout the night. There were many fun activities throughout the commons for visitors to enjoy and take a deeper look at traditional Japanese culture, such as origami, calligraphy, and a table full of traditional Japanese toys. Additionally, there was a maid cafe which sold various food items, a videogame room and a raffle. For younger audiences, they had a chance to catch a goldfish and play yoyo at one of the small swimming pools that had been set up.

This was Japanese teacher Anita Bieker’s first year teaching at Tigard High, and thus her first experience with Japan Night. She thought it went smoothly and those that came had a good experience, although she did wish there would have been more student involvement in organizing the event.

“It seemed like the students were having a lot of fun and we had a lot of people coming through and experiencing the culture so I think it was a success by that point,” Bieker said.

Many volunteers came to help put everything together and believed it was worth their time. Sophomore Ryan Dukelow was one of the volunteers. He set up the stage, gathered props and put up posters.

“[International Night] provides an opportunity for hands-on learning and provides an opportunity for teachers to teach others,” Dukelow said.

Junior Connor Paterson was another volunteer, who came in support as a member of Japanese National Honor Society.

“It’s a good chance for students to provide a chance to view a culture like traditional Japanese culture in an unbiased way,” Paterson said.

Held in the cafeteria, Noche Latina held an award ceremony for seniors in Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (SHH) and MEChA. There were also dance performances, a wide variety of traditional foods, a taco truck, and a variety of events for kids such as making a pinata. They also had a raffle, which raised money to support the students who would have benefited from DACA the money in order to go onto higher education.

But one of the most unique things compared to other years where Japan Night and Noche Latina were separate, International Night gave students an opportunity to get a little bit of every culture.

Spanish teacher Alexis Buschert organized Noche Latina and witnessed the effect that International Night had on those who came.

“It was cool to see students get things from Japan Night like goldfish or water yoyos, and then they would show up at Noche Latina and they would be eating tacos. I felt like that was the idea of international night; that you get to experience a little bit of everything,” Buschert said.

Another unique aspect was the clubs having an opportunity to have a booth and advertise. Clubs may have benefited greatly from the publicity that they received during the time. Buschert thought that was a valuable opportunity for them and hopes to see more clubs in the future.

“I felt like it gave them another opportunity to show off what they offer or how they can outreach to the community or expose themselves to the community. And I think that gives them the potential to attract more members or interest,” Buschert said.

With construction next year, the future of International Night remains uncertain. But Bieker feels like they need to work on publicity in general anyhow.

“I thought there would be more small kids and adults from the community and neighborhoods. So maybe that would be something to look forward to next year and how to capture those people,” Bieker said.

International Night was a new and unique event for those who attended.