Celebrating Culture Through Traditional Attire

Celebrating Culture Through Traditional Attire

Elaine Loft, Staff Writer

During Community Meeting on January 13, the Multicultural Student Union presented its annual fashion show. Over 40 students, representing 12 countries, processed down the aisles of the auditorium to the beat of music and enthusiastic clapping and shouts from the audience. 

The program opened with Xinyi (Elosa) Zhou ‘26, who took center stage to sing a love song in Mandarin. Next, as each of the students made their way to the stage, their attire was described in minute detail by Ipeksu Yucel ‘25 and Jon Martinez ‘26, who served as MCs for the event. The explanations of the traditional costumes had been well researched by the participants and added an important cultural lesson to the program.

Some countries were represented with multiple forms of dress. Sparda and Ashwini Gurung, who descend from an ethnic tribe that is Indigenous to the mountains of Nepal, wore a cholo (blouse), and lungi (skirt) wrapped with a chalek (red cloth) with their hair braided in a yarn extension called a dori. Pratham Gurung and Deepsun Adkhikari wore a daura suruwal, which is the national dress of Nepal, and is worn primarily by men. Dina Adhikari and Soumya Basnet modeled lenghas, which include a blouse, a long, full skirt, and a shawl that is typically elaborately embroidered to match the other parts of the garment. 

Anela Kruščica, Director of Equity & Belonging, observed behind the scenes of the event,

“It’s loud, it’s chaotic, and it’s absolutely beautiful. As students rush to get into their cultural attire, there’s an energy in the air that’s hard to describe. But in the middle of all the hustle and bustle, my proudest and most rewarding moments come when I see high school students helping middle schoolers, or when kids from all over the world, from every background, come together to support one another. These are our kids—full of life, laughter, and sometimes a little too much energy—but in those moments, they show us the power of connection. What unites them isn’t just the traditions they represent, but the shared humanity, the kindness, and the understanding they give each other. It’s a reminder that we all have so much more in common than we think.”

The countries represented in the fashion show included:

Bosnia/Herzegovina, Canada (Quebec), China, Greece, India, Lebanon, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, Rwanda, South Korea, Sudan, Togo, and Vietnam.

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