The Forum

community news

the forum

Saanvi Adusumalli, Jennifer Huang, Adi Jaiswal, Ava Winber

Around the world

World’s Fair encourages students to explore countries, cultures within Stevenson

Students are beginning to design booths representing their country and practice their performances for World’s Fair, which is taking place on Oct. 2223. A collaborative event involving the eforts of multiple cultural clubs and afnity groups ranging from Key Club to Club Israel, World’s Fair ofers an opportunity to experience other world cultures and cuisines through a diverse variety of activities and performances.

Visitors will be able to visit the booths of participating clubs in the Point and Wood Commons from 11-3 p.m. and then watch performances in the Performing Arts Center from 3-5 p.m. The event will be open to Stevenson students and other members of the community.

“The biggest part [of World’s Fair] is that not only is it a place for students to come and interact and see their peers’ cultures

and the diversity in our school, but it’s also accessible to anyone,” Kaitlyn Mathews ’23, Diversity Council co-president, said. As part of their efort to introduce fairgoers to the arts and traditions of various cultures, Diversity Council also encourages them to perform songs and dances onstage. Reshma Rajesh ’24, a performer representing India, is choreographing a group dance with her friends, making sure to incorporate a medley of songs that represent both North and South India. “When representing our country, we wanted to show that there’s diversity,” Rajesh said. “Rather than dancing to one language over the other, we want to use all of them together. India [has various] cultures and we want to show as much [of that] as we can at World’s Fair.” As clubs and performers work hard to get ready for the event, Diversity Council prompts students to support their peers on stage. Mathews hopes that the experience will encourage students to connect with each other and in turn help spread social awareness. “We wanted one big event that can bring our community together,” Mathews said. “We have diferent cultures that are celebrated around the world, but by bringing these cultures together, our community can be one.” Chinese Club begun its preparations for this year’s World’s Fair by making posters and to decorate their booth. Like many other clubs, Chinese Club hopes to introduce students to a new country and culture. Dressed in traditonal Indian clothing, Ananya Balu ’25, Aania Gill ’25, and Manasa Gogula ’25 were among the many students who danced at Garba Night.

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

Students celebrate Indian holiday with traditional dance at Garba Night

The Indian Student Association (ISA) held its annual Garba Night at Stevenson on Oct. 8. The event took place at the Pool Patio where ISA invited students to experience a celebration of Indian culture.

Students from ISA provided cultural snacks, played traditional music and performed Garba—a classical Gujrathi dance done during the nine days of Navratri, which celebrates the victory of good over evil. Leading up to the day of the event, ISA sought to involve both its members and the local community in its preparations.

“We cater food from restaurants and local businesses for our events,” ISA president Sohi Shah ’23 said. “For the music, we encouraged students to give us their input and created a playlist of popularly mentioned songs for the day of the event.”

In addition to curating food and music, planning activities and designing fyers, ISA offered other opportunities for members to get involved. Nathan Huang ’25, who is Chinese-American, served as a volunteer during the event, giving out food and ensuring that the dance ran smoothly.

“I feel like it’s important to add diversity to ISA,” Huang said. “Although you might be from a diferent background, it’s an opportunity to learn about another culture.”

For students seeking to further embrace their culture or those hoping to introduce themselves to a new culture, Shah agrees that Garba Night is a valuable learning experience. Regardless of ethnic or cultural background, ISA hopes that its future events will continue to facilitate connections between Stevenson students.

“[Stevenson] is like a melting pot of ideas that come together,” Huang said. “Garba might be a holiday that originates from India, but it can also be celebrated by all people.”

taking on civic responsibility

Stevenson students work as election judges

On Nov. 8, students above the age of 16 who are U.S. citizens have the opportunity to serve as an election judge, supervising the election process and making sure that the democratic process of electing a government ofcial stays regulated. Students who choose to participate as an election judge have to give a great deal of dedication to the cause, waking up at 4 a.m. to set up tables and supervising voters starting at 6 a.m.

Students working as election judges give up one of their late arrival days to go through a training led by the Lake County’s Clerk’s ofce to help prepare them for election day. AP U.S. Government teacher Andrew Conneen connects students with these opportunities.

“In a democracy, there is a need for the widespread perception that the results of the election are legitimate,” Conneen said. “As a civics teacher, it’s a powerful moment when I can turn to a student who has done the job of election judging and ask them what their experience was like on election day so they can pass on their experience to their peers in class.”

Although the experience might be gratifying for many, election judges also face hostility. Hannah Yu ’23, who has served as an election judge in the past, recounts the different ways that people have expressed their political views to election judges.

“There is some level of harassment that happens to election judges doing their jobs,” Yu said. “It’s hard because that makes people not want to be poll workers anymore. People were yelling and getting in our faces.”

Being an election judge allows students to learn frsthand about the complexities of an election process and how vital it is to follow rules if they are ever thinking about running for ofce successfully. The learning experiences that election judges gain helps them with their interests and brings awareness to the rigor in regulations of elections.

“I would recommend election judging to anyone who’s interested in politics or the government,” Yu said. “It’s important to be involved in the political process to the extent that it’s possible.”

Lake county student election judge qualifications

1. Be a junior or senior in good standing enrolled in a public or private secondary school.

2. Provide written permission from a parent or guardian

3. Have a cumulative grade point average equivalent to at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

4. Declare afliation to a major political party

5. Complete Basic Training

TALE AS OLD AS TIME

An inside look at Stevenson’s upcoming fall musical

Stevenson’s fall musical, Beauty and the Beast, is set to debut on Friday, Nov. 18. The Patriot Theater Company’s production, starring Justin Katin ’23 as The Beast and Lily James ’23 as Belle, will be held in the Performing Arts Center (PAC).

Performers are aided by a crew of students and staf members. For example, crew members and stage managers behind the scenes are tasked with managing lights, musical cues and designing sets in order to create a magical experience for viewers.

“As a stage manager, communication with the entire company is key,” said Alexis Alanis ’24, one of the current stage managers. “I also talk with actors during rehearsals [and ask] if they have any questions about their lines or movements.”

In addition to managing production behind the scenes, stage managers also carry further responsibilities ofstage such as sending out emails to cast members, sending scheduling reminders and summarizing rehearsals for members when they are absent. From coordinating with performers and their guardians to managing the performance, Joseph Chan ’24, who plays a wolf and is a part of the village ensemble, believes that collaboration between both the cast and crew is essential to having a successful show.

“We constantly work with other cast members; in fact, we actually have days dedicated just to bonding,” Chan said. “By connecting with each other, we can make the chemistry in our scenes smoother.”

According to Chan, this connection was crucial to the success of past productions such as the 2020 production of Newsies, where constant communication was required to coordinate actors during the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic. Despite several challenges, the extra efort allowed students to continue to pursue their passions.

Regardless of audience attendance, the theater program is excited for audience members to be able to experience the show live.

“The musical is going to be a blast due to [the amount of] work and the amount of people coming together to make it the best it can possibly be,” Chan said.

Costume manager Alexia Rutherford examines a petticoat for the fall musical, Beauty and the Beast.