The student body at AHS represents numerous countries and languages. Heritage Night allows an opportunity for students to showcase their culture, traditions and roots.
The annual Heritage Night is scheduled for Friday, March 8 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Admission will cost $5.
Senior Hemen Besufekad is one of the 24 participants in a group that will showcase a mixture of Ethiopian and Eritrean dances. The group comprises of seniors and juniors with an Ethiopian heritage.
“I like to show my culture and I think my culture is underrepresented in America. This is a way to show my culture to the people,” Besufekad said. “In Ethiopia, we have a lot of different cultures and tribes. We wanted to show the diversity in that. We are not just one type of Ethiopia, there are many tribes.”
Approximately eight countries will be represented this year, including countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bolivia. Performances will consist of traditional dances, clothing, instruments and music.
The garments that Besufekad and the females of the group will be wearing are called “A Kemis” and scarves called “Netela.” The males are wearing traditional clothes called “Ager libse” which means “home clothes.”
“Students should look forward to seeing their friends showcase their different cultures,” Leadership member senior Rebecca Tecle.
Tecle has been in charge of organizing Heritage Night and directing the weekly practices. She will also oversee all the aspects at Heritage Night
Those interested in participating attended an interest meeting last month to be considered in the audition process. This year, leadership had students sign up on Google Docs as a first come, first served basis.
All participating groups have been practicing every Sunday since late January. All members will continue to practice leading up to auditions and Heritage Night.
“I am excited to see all the similarities and differences between the different cultures,” Tecle said.