This past weekend (Jan. 30^th) the Webb community celebrated International Night 2010. Traditionally, the evening includes a progressive dinner, culture show, and dance.  Since its inception six years ago, the event has evolved into the largest student-organized event at Webb. Last year, the attendance grew so big that the Hooper Student Center was no longer adequate.  Instead, the event was moved to the Perry Gymnasium, which provided a large enough space to accommodate over 350 people, 5 “restaurants” and a performance area. 

The whole event capitalizes on the international composition of Webb’s student body. For the past three months, student organizers interviewed students with a heritage from another country or who have lived in other parts of the world. The planners created five “restaurants” based upon their research: Nigerian, Sri Lankan, Armenian, Indonesian and Latino. Each restaurant was decorated to fit the cultural theme and featured a sampling of authentic foods. For example, the Nigerian restaurant was decorated with items that were purchased in Nigeria when one of our students came back from visiting relatives. The Sri Lankan restaurant included on-the-spot Hoppers (a traditional food). Many students, faculty and staff even dressed in traditional costumes, creating a truly international atmosphere.

The distinguishing feature of this year’s event was the student culture show with over 100 participants. Unlike years past, the show contained acts entirely choreographed and performed by students. The acts included:

• Chinese peacock dance
• Instrumental acts including traditional Chinese instruments (Guzheng)
• Traditional Nigerian dance
• Korean Fan Dance
• Vocal duet of “Shan Hu Hai”
• Hawaiian Hula (both traditional and contemporary)
• Chinese Sword Dance
• Salsa and Cha Cha
• Latin song with instrumental accompaniment
• Israeli Dance
• Indian Dances (traditional, Bhangra, and Bollywood-style)

I would like to thank all those who contributed to the success of this event, especially the event chairs, Emily Stewart ’11 and Elias Bashoura ‘10. It couldn’t have happened without the involvement of the whole community; but the creativity, organization, leadership, and passion of the students were the driving force behind the event. Thanks to them, people are already looking forward to International Night 2011... 

November 9th-14th was Webb’s annual Theme Week, a series of spirit events organized by the ASB and collaboratively produced by the entire student body. This year’s Theme Week was based upon the movies of Will Smith. Each day represented a different Will Smith film/show: Men in Black, Ali, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Hancock, and Wild Wild West. Each class gains spirit points by dressing up in accordance with the day’s movie theme and also by participating in competitions, such as “super diving” for Hancock day or mechanical bull riding for Wild Wild West day. Additionally, spirit points are deducted from the class for individuals who miss academic and afternoon commitments.

The culmination of the week is Theme Night: performances showcasing the talent and creativity of all four classes. Theme Night could be considered Webb’s version of the Super Bowl. Each class spends countless hours preparing to impress the school community with a special 15-minute performance. In fitting with this year’s theme, each class chose a different movie as the basis of their performance. The 9^th-graders danced, sang, and performed to the "Fresh Prince of Webb." The sophomores depicted a story of a young woman championing the male-dominated sport of boxing. The juniors told a story of an abandoned ghost-town in the Wild West and the seniors did a spoof of six futuristic movies. In the end, the juniors took home the coveted Theme Week trophy, but each class deserves tremendous recognition for the amazing show that they collectively produced.   

In the midst of all the spirit, it is important to note the overall objective of this high-energy week. The final performances are only a by-product of a much higher purpose: to provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their leadership abilities. Numerous students in each class take on leadership roles in order to execute a specific aspect of their performance. Committees coordinate dances, props, costumes, script, and others are all part of the class machine. Students learn how to capitalize upon the talents of their classmates. In the end, the final performance is an example of the leadership principle of synergy: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The teamwork, dedication, and creativity of the class are at the heart of Theme Week.