Among our highest priorities at Blair is ensuring our students understand the importance of becoming global-minded citizens whose horizons are expanded by programs like the Society of Skeptics and trips across the United States and abroad, which deepen our understanding of others and ourselves. For more than two decades, the School’s International Celebration has helped us bring the best of the world to Blair for our students and position our graduates to bring the best of Blair to the world. An overarching theme of respect for culture and community is the focus of the event, and although the format has changed throughout the years, the foundation is still the same. Students and faculty came together this weekend to honor the beloved tradition and celebrate the many cultures that enrich Blair.

“I really appreciate the community coming together for this project,” Dean of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Evan Thomas said. “Faculty, students and families have been so generous pouring their time and energy into a special celebration of our international population and heritage.”

The weekend kicked off early with intimate dinners with four faculty families, honoring and celebrating the cultures and cuisines of Thailand, Italy, Japan and the Philippines. On Saturday, the main event transformed the Chiang-Elghanayan Center for Innovation and Collaboration Forum into a mecca of global cuisine, representing 15 different countries. The air was filled with the delicious smells of curry, empanadas, poutine, gazpacho and more, as students and faculty shared their cultures with friends, colleagues and classmates. There was a Maasai-inspired beaded bracelet-making activity, international music and a flag parade as well as dancing lessons and map quizzes to promote the sharing of cultures and ideas. As the day progressed, there was international karaoke in the Black Canteen and a Bollywood film in Cowan Auditorium. 

On Sunday, the weekend culminated with the third annual Blair World Cup tournament, complete with a Mexican food truck for participants and spectators to enjoy. Several students gathered to enjoy tea and cookies from around the world during the tournament, while others learned how to make dumplings with teachers Lian Wang and Dave Facciani in their home.

Blair is mindful of what it takes to navigate our increasingly global and interconnected world as we seek to prepare students for a future in which work crosses disciplines, cultures and oceans. Harnessing the powerful potential of working together to solve challenges across lines of difference and as global citizens, Blair students collaborate and learn from others of different backgrounds and experiences. International Weekend is just one of the many ways we achieve that goal on the hilltop—while celebrating the diverse members of the community who make us distinctively Blair.