International Night 2026 Celebrates Cultural Diversity at Walt Whitman High School

In observance of National Foreign Language Week, Walt Whitman’s World Language Honor Society hosted its annual International Night. This year’s theme was “Every Language Inspires Us.” The event raises money for UNICEF with a selection of international foods to sample in the South Cafeteria after our guests enjoy dance routines and musical numbers in the PAC.
The evening began in the PAC, adorned with flags from around the world, with a traditional Chinese Lion Dance by Ten Tigers Kung Fu Academy, donning beautiful dragon costumes in their routine. Following this grand opening, the audience was treated to a performance by Irish Step Dancers from Mulvihill-Lynch Irish Dance Studio. Other cultural dances were performed by Whitman’s Hellenicats Greek Club, the Walt Whitman Step Team, the Latino Heritage Dance Team, and the Caribbean Heritage Club.
The night’s vocal performances featured several soloists: Sarah Rivera sang the National Anthem, French student Emily Butterfield sang “Tous Les Garçons Et Les Filles,” and Lillian Dwyer serenaded the audience with “Love in Portofino.” The vocal numbers concluded with a performance of “Lejos de Ti” by Ella Brenner, Sydney Henkel, Grant Borden, and Andie DeVinney.
Always a crowd favorite, the Latino Heritage Club put together a Quinceañera Fashion Show, giving students the opportunity to showcase their traditional 15th birthday dresses once more.
Thank you to all who participated and shared their talents, and to our community for their generosity! Great job by World Language Honor Society officers, Co-Presidents Jillian Kobel and Shayaan Siddiqui, Co-Vice-Presidents Shay Lublin and Nathalie Robson, Co-Treasurers Deyrin Corado Perez and Charlotte Zaiff, Co-Secretaries Michael Eastwood and Emma Jacoutot, and Publicity Director Lillian Montana for hosting the evening. Thank you to the club’s advisor, Ms. Aileen D'Addario, and to our World Language Department and building administration for all of their support!
Opening up the show was the Ten Tigers Kung Fu Academy with their captivating and traditional Chinese Lion Dance.
Walt Whitman’s Greek-American Heritage Club, the Hellenicats, performed traditional Greek dances by students and faculty members.
Lillian Dwyer sang “Love in Portofino” in Italian and English to serve as one of the night’s entertaining and impressive performances.
Dancers from the Mulvihill-Lynch Irish Dance Studio always ‘wow’ the audience at this annual event!
The Quinceanera Fashion Show allowed students to show-off their dresses one more time since their traditional 15th birthday celebration.
The Latino Heritage Club performed various dances that had the crowd cheering with excitement.
Handmade flowers were made by Whitman students and available for purchase in the South Cafeteria to benefit the World Language Honor Society’s UNICEF fundraiser.
Sushi was among many of the cultural food items for sale after the evening of performances to help aid the UNICEF fundraiser.
