Loyola Celebrates International Night 2022

On Friday, February 25, Loyola hosted International Night, an annual celebration of the unique cultures and traditions that enrich our Loyola community. Guests at this year's International Night, or I-Night, enjoyed an array of performances from a number of Loyola's heritage clubs including:
  • African American Youth Group 
  • Asian Youth Group
  • Chinese Club
  • Croatian Club
  • Hellenic Club
  • Irish Heritage Club
  • Italian-American Club
  • Polish Club
  • Step Team
  • UniDos 
Ramblers and members of the Loyola Academy community gathered in the East Gym to see the vibrant performances which included the Cumbia/Wepa/Reggaeton, Ćerge, East and West African dances, Tinikling, Tai Chi Fan Dance, Krakowiak, the Irish Jig & Ikariotiko and more! Guests went home with goodie bags featuring candies and sweet treats from all of the countries represented at I-Night.

An anchor of co-curricular life at Loyola Academy has long been our heritage clubs, which provide students with the unique opportunity to share their backgrounds and traditions and explore those of their classmates and friends. For about 175 Ramblers, the heritage clubs at LA become like a second home—a place where they can learn and grow more fully into themselves.

Every year International Night captures several of the many diverse perspectives and traditions that we celebrate at Loyola. For months leading up to the event, Ramblers work closely with their club moderators to develop a performance, or skit that represents their cultural heritage.

Guadalupe Vázquez ’23 serves as the vice president of UniDos, which she says has been working since November to create, teach and memorize all their performances. “Although it can be difficult to bring many different people in agreement, it is always such a privilege to be able to see a successful outcome and help a community of people come together,” she says. “I-Night is a way for our club to build a stronger community and, in the end, showcase our hard work. It is also beneficial to the community of Loyola in providing a way of experiencing new and diverse cultures and allowing us to broaden our views of our peers outside of the classroom environment.”

Sophomore Oscar Vázquez agrees and adds: “There is so much to love about I-Night. In particular, I really like how I-Night brings people together, both in the process of preparing and on the night of the performances. It is a great way to make lasting friendships.”

To view a video recording of International Night 2022, click here.
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    • International Night 2022

      International Night

      02.25.2022

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