The Culture Show Club at Park has started up again after a cancellation in 2023. It offers students who want to represent their unique cultural background a space to participate in groups that will eventually perform for the wider school.
The club’s advisor, Fatuma Irshat, said the club is currently finding what cultural performances different sections want to perform and what they will look like.
“At some point, I think every group is going to focus on their own culture eventually,” Irshat said. “But right now, as they are navigating through that and figuring out what it is that they want to showcase or share, they are working together, sharing information and supporting each other and then eventually they’re going to break out into different cultures.”
Faduma London, the club president, said she’s excited to see people express themselves and their special culture in a welcoming environment.
“I’m seeing the people are dancing now, they’re getting comfortable, and they’re starting to show more of their character around people,” London said. “And I feel like that’s just their personality, not character, but their personality around people. I feel like it’s building a community, and also people from different cultures are learning other cultures’ dances.”
Senior Nafisa Kahin, treasurer of the club, said that she hopes this year will bring out success in the club, after a year of getting it off the ground.
“I look forward to the diversity of showing how many cultures are in SLP High School,” Kahin said. And because we were supposed to have one, I wasn’t in last year’s one, but we were supposed to have one freshman year but it got canceled, and I was looking forward to it. So me, as a senior, I’m hoping it can go well.”
London said coming to America may mean students no longer have the opportunity to express their culture, and the culture show club helps students maintain some of that expression.
“When you come to a new country, especially America—well, actually I was born here—but you kind of lose your culture,” she said. “You don’t remember the dances that people back home know. So it’s about preserving and relearning their cultural dances.”
Kahin said the club has tried outreach for funding at stores, fast food places and even within the school.
“Around the school and maybe outside of school, maybe in grocery stores. I’ve seen Whole Foods. Or Chick-fil-A, for sure,” Kahin said.
Irshat said the environment is collaborative, as the club seeks for more people and more representation of distinct cultures.
“They want to make sure everyone is accounted for—any student who is interested in participating,” Irshat said. “So they were giving time for more students to join. So far, I’m excited, because there are so many different cultures that are working together.”
Culture Show Club meets Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 3:45 in room C350. Performance practices begin in February.
