Marksmen Celebrate Their Heritage

Celebrating the sights, sounds and tastes of numerous cultures represented in the St. Mark’s community, the Great Hall came alive Wednesday evening, Feb. 28, 2024, as the third annual Marksmen Multicultural Night showcased the unique backgrounds of students, parents, faculty and staff through an evening of activities, performances and food. 

“Marksmen Multicultural Night represents our dedication to embracing, understanding and appreciating our community's wide range of cultures that can enrich our lives and strengthen our connections,” said Lorre Allen, director of Inclusion, Diversity and Human Resources and the faculty sponsor of the Inclusion, Diversity and Leadership Council (IDLC).

In the Great Hall, student families set up tables showcasing the stories of their heritage, sharing histories and traditions. Countries and cultures represented included Brazil, Greece, Ireland, Thailand, South Korea and the United States. Culture and cuisine represented included Brazilian shrimp stew and cheese bread; Irish milkshake and apple cake; chicken souvlaki skewers and pita bread and hummus from Greece; Korean Fried Chicken and kimchi; Thai green papaya salad and tofu satay from Thailand; and Texas brisket sliders and fried macaroni and cheese from the USA.
 
Guests entered to welcome music provided by Island Boogie Steel Drum Band at the Quad entrance. Other performances came from the St. Mark’s Acapella Club, performing Si Vas Para Chile under the direction of Glenn Stroh; St. Mark’s lower schoolers presenting a Brazilian performance under the direction of Maria Russo and Garrett Kheshtinejad; a performance by the Dan Liu Dance Art School under the direction of Dan Liu; and a performance from Apex Dance & Performing Arts, under the direction of Donna Murray. The St. Mark’s Blues Club and Jazz Band performed between each scheduled performance.
 
Attendees also had the opportunity to learn and make cultural art representing the six countries  —  Brazil, Ireland, Greece, Thailand, South Korea and the United States of America. 
 
For the first time, a sports exhibition was offered — the St. Mark’s Cricket Club gave a presentation on the sport of cricket on Hunt Field.

This year's Marksman Multicultural Night was organized by IDLC co-chairs Zachary Bashour ’24 and Noah Cathey ’24 and vice chairs Will Clifford ’25, Matthew Hofmann ’25 and Mateo Ubinas ’25.