SUNCOAST’S ANNUAL HERITAGE CEREMONY

Several students are preparing for their performances in the Heritage Assembly.

December 20, 2018

The Heritage Assembly is a performance put on by fellow Suncoast students; its goal is to appreciate and celebrate the different heritages many students share. A few countries involved in the show are India, Indonesia, America, Korea and the region of Latin America. The assembly takes place on Feb. 1 in the auditorium during school, as well as that night. Students perform traditional dances from specific countries or regions in order to demonstrate the culture and entertain the audience. Normally while these dances are being presented, slideshows presenting various pictures of that place along with various celebrities are displayed.

Christian Cabeza, a sophomore participating in Latin America’s performance said, “I’m very excited because I get to see how far I’ve come from learning those basic dance moves… to more complicated ones that involve more complex moves.”

Not only do students that watch these performances get to learn more about the different cultures from all around the world, but the performers themselves get to experience the heritage they are presenting in a new way and learn more about it. Numerous genres of dance are incorporated throughout the show as well as different styles of music and scenery.

Archi Patel, a senior who has been doing the Heritage Assembly since her freshman year said, “As a participant it’s given me the opportunity to learn about different cultures and how they express art, dance and music.”

There is mandatory practice for every participant to make sure all the routines are organized and complete. Some students will even make their own music for the show by mixing numerous popular songs that coincide with their heritage. Along with the show itself, during lunch in the courtyard different festivities take place.

“Each day is dedicated to a world region… during lunch we have activities pertaining to that region have musical chairs with ethnic music.” In addition to the fact students are able to learn more about different cultures, they are also given opportunity to help out countries in need,” Patel said. “This year we’re fundraising for the Philippines to support youth education and impoverished areas,”continued Patel.

The assembly also focused on countries and cultures that are not as popular throughout school. Eduardo Carrascal, a senior, said, “What I’m really most excited about is to just show people our culture basically… of Peru. We’re kinda like a small minority like of all the Hispanics, but hopefully people see how people really are [in Peru] and how festive we are.”

By presenting a traditional dance of Peru, Carrascal and the other performers are able to express their culture and get more students to be aware of their heritage. The Heritage Assembly is a good way for students to be exposed to the different cultures and heritages that their fellow classmates share.

About the Contributor
Photo of Maya Calderon
Maya Calderon, Staff Writer

Maya Calderon is a staff writer for The Legend and an IB Senior. When she is in school she enjoys taking part in Student Government and Dance Marathon. She spends her time outside of school hanging out with her friends and dogs and watching Netflix.

The Legend • Copyright 2024 • FLEX WordPress Theme by SNOLog in