By Calvin Moon ’24
For the second year in a row, Choate celebrated International Education Week (IEW), a joint initiative established by the United States Department of State and the United States Department of Education.
While the national celebration spans from November 13 to 17, Choate scheduled its events to happen during the week of September 29 to October 7, strategically timed to fall before midterms. In collaboration with the Global Engagement Advisory Committee and dedicated faculty members such as Director of Student Activities Ms. Alexandra Long and Assistant Director of Student Activities Ms. Colleen Kazar, Director of Global Engagement Ms. Ashley Sinclair oversaw the organization of a plethora of events.
The week-long celebration featured a diverse array of activities that highlighted the various cultures at Choate. Offerings ranged from international karaoke nights to shopping trips to G Mart, an Asian supermarket, and El Mercado, a Latin American marketplace. French crepe-making sessions with Math and Computer Science teacher Ms. Meghan Healey, class visits and performances by the Spain-based Al Firdaus Ensemble, a global readings event, West African dance lessons with Mr. Seny Camara, and international food stations in the dining hall provided something for everyone.
Taking the celebration a step further, Ms. Sinclair invited student-led clubs to share about their cultural heritages. Many student organizations embraced the opportunity to represent their cultures through activities and food. “Many of them said food, and I think that that is so wonderful because it just is so emblematic of how food is a way of sharing one’s culture in a very specific way,” Ms. Sinclair said.
Choate Korea Friendship Association (CKFA) celebrated Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving Day, at Choate with a cookout featuring Korean street food such as tteokbokki and cup-bop. “The event turned out to be a great success,” CKFA Vice President Danny Yoon ’24 said. “I’m glad that a lot of Choate students became aware of the beautiful Korean culture and food.”
The Hispanic Latine Forum (HLF) hosted a cooking class making arroz con dulce from Puerto Rico and brigadeiro from Brazil. The event was originally scheduled for Hispanic Awareness Month, but, in a happy coincidence, coincided with IEW. “We had a good turnout for the cookout event, which I hope inspires more people to try more dishes from Latin America and Spanish-speaking countries,” HLF President Sebastian Alavez ’24 said.
In addition, they sponsored a dance in the Student Activities Center (SAC). “For the international SAC dance, I hope people can genuinely enjoy the dance with music from their home countries,” Alavez said.
Many other student organizations also put together events. Chinese Club hosted a mahjong and mooncakes Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, Choate South Asian Association had a samosa cooking event, Caribbean Club offered jerk chicken and roti, Japanese Club had an onigiri-making session, Africanah presented Kenyan street food delicacies, and the Thai Club hosted a krapow gai dinner, among others.
International Education Week at Choate goes beyond merely a one-week celebration; it is an experience that can ignite students’ curiosity about one another’s diverse cultures. Ms. Sinclair shared, “I want the [students] to feel that they can try something new and to reach out to learn something about their fellow students. Even if they see them in class and feel that they know them well, they can learn a different side of them.”
