Songs, dance, food, and community are four key elements that make up culture. Through Grandview’s Culture Night, these four elements all come together to share the diversity of the Grandview High School community. 

“Culture Night has improved my relationship with other cultures because it is also a space to ask questions about things that maybe I’m not familiar with or don’t understand,” Liz Groves (Equity Sponsor) said.

Culture Night is a school-wide event run by Student Equity at Grandview, which aims to connect the diverse cultures of the school. It’s an opportunity for students to become more aware of a culture outside of their own.

“Culture night is important because it’s really easy for us to get so wrapped up in our own personal experiences that we forget to think about the perspectives of others,” Groves said.

Through a variety of performances and cultural dishes, Culture Night shows off the cultures of students throughout Grandview.

“I think culture impacts the Grandview community because it makes it more vibrant and diverse,” Kate Wong (11), equity board member said. “Events like this help celebrate that, and then it just brings together the whole community in a fun way.”

Community is a key aspect of clubs like Equity, which focus on bringing students closer together through understanding. 

“I’ve really been committed to equity work and making kids feel seen for who they are in all parts of who they are, and culture night is just a really good way to do that,” Groves said.

At Culture Night, there will be performances from various cultures around the world. Through dance, music, and fashion, all groups performing express their culture.

“We’ve had the most performances this year that we’ve ever had, and I know that the groups that are performing are practicing, and I’m really excited to see what they come up with,” Groves said.

Wong is one of seven groups set to perform at Culture Night. She will be performing a Chinese dance that includes a long fan and long ribbon.

“I just wanted to make the night special for everyone, especially for myself.  I wanted to represent my culture,” Wong said.  “I wanted to be a part of the whole planning process, since I know what it feels like to want to be represented.”

As a member of the Equity Board, Wong has been involved in the planning process, along with working on her own performance. The students involved in preparation have spent time planning the event since October 2025. 

“ It’s definitely been stressful, because it’s not that we were short on time, but just organizing with a bunch of other groups is super hard with communication,” Wong said. “In the end, I feel super fulfilled and proud, especially just seeing everything come together.”

“I’m really proud of the kids who put it on. It’s a ton of work, and they do, I’d say 90% of it,” Groves said. “Myself and Mrs. Kopay are really just there for logistics and being able to send emails to people from whom we need things.”

Part of the planning process has included dress rehearsals to help ensure the event runs smoothly on the real day of the event.

“You can see how all of the groups work so hard, and then seeing them on stage, and being happy that they’re there is really fulfilling,” Wong said. 

While the night itself helps to create a connection to a variety of cultures, the process of preparing for the event has helped build a strong team relationship within Student Equity.

“Having teamwork is super important for making sure everything runs smoothly and the night goes well for everyone,” Wong said. 

Ensuring a successful event for everyone involved allows for learning and a new understanding of different cultures.

“What I want everyone to take away is that celebrating diversity is a great thing and it’s really fun, and it helps us to learn more about each other, which I think makes us better people,” Groves said.

“In terms of like the night itself and like the people coming in, I think that respect is super important because we need to lift each other up and hype each other up in a way instead of judging and putting people down,” Wong said.