This local school will host Culture Unity Night to hear from underrepresented students
Visitors will get a chance to taste dishes and learn about different cultures from speakers at Orting High School’s second annual Culture Unity Night April 20.
Orting High School’s Culture Club is hosting the event from 6-8 p.m. at the performing arts center. Their goal is to elevate the voices of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) students, staff and community members.
The event is free and open to the public. Those who live outside the city limits are also welcome to attend. Orting High School is at 320 Washington Ave. N.
“This event will allow underrepresented students and staff to share their stories of attending and working at OSD and the importance of recognizing different cultures throughout the Orting community,” according to a news release.
The purpose of the event is to promote cultural awareness, Culture Club Advisor Mauricio Portillo said. There will be BIPOC speakers sharing their experiences in Orting as well as cultural food served at the event crafted by the high school’s culinary club.
“Our club members really hope that the people that come to Culture Unity Night are able to leave with an understanding of accepting others, celebrating the differences and sharing moments together,” Portillo said.
Culture Club president Julissa Valdovinos said having a panel of BIPOC speakers is an important aspect of the event because their voices are “never heard.” Valdovinos is a senior at the high school.
“They will be speaking about the cultural shift that they have seen at their time in Orting High School,” Valdovinos said.
As the population continues to grow in the city, Valdovinos said she has seen an increase in BIPOC students. It is important for those students to feel represented and heard, she said.
Dean Brandt, who is also helping with the event, said they hope it will educate others and diminish ignorance about other cultures. Brandt is a senior at the high school and is the president of a club called Students Helping Students.
Portillo said this will be the second time they are hosting the event. The club first hosted this event in 2019, but they were not able to host it in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
“It’s great that we finally get to put it back together,” Portillo said.
Many students in Orting are not usually exposed to cultures different from their own, Portillo said. He grew up in Enumclaw and was not surrounded by many people who looked like him. He later realized the importance of having events like this.
“Now that I’m a teacher, and I’m a person in that position, I realized that I have the potential to really open up the outlook and the perspective of students’ minds in regards to culture,” Portillo said.
