East hosts 35th annual Multicultural Day

MCD video recap

Zoey Dorn

Mrs. Yanell Joseph discusses the evolution of MCD

Maya Morgan

Cherry Hill East held its 35th annual Multicultural Day (MCD) on March 26. MCD is a day rooted in tradition and exists to celebrate the diversity of East’s student body through cultural performances and booth displays.

To learn about the history of MCD, Eastside sat down with Mrs. Yanell Joseph, a longtime advisor for both the African American and Middle Eastern and North African culture clubs. Over the course of her 24 years at East, Joseph told Eastside, she has watched MCD evolve into a structured event where students can both share and learn about different cultures.

The goal of Multicultural Day has always been to celebrate East’s diverse student body.

“[MCD is] a day of celebration, learning, and joy,” said Joseph. “If you are immersed in performances and listen, you learn a lot.”

This year, the theme was “Echoes of the Past: Golden Ages.” This was an opportunity for students to showcase milestones and achievements within their respective cultures.

While the goal of MCD has remained the same over the years, the traditions have evolved. For one, the performances have gained variety as students have incorporated different ways to express their culture. Clubs now present performances that include singing, diversified themes, dynamic dances, and more to encapsulate their respective cultures. Each year, there are new ideas and forms of expression, although the concept of learning about one another’s heritage has remained at the core.

Mrs. Joseph highlighted how significant Multicultural Day is in today’s climate: a busy, divisive world full of stereotypes.

“Each group talks about themselves and what they celebrate, bridging ignorance and allowing them to express themselves,” said Joseph.

All the culture clubs have interesting stories and history to share. Often, students are exposed not only to differences among heritages, but they also learn about the commonalities. Paying attention to others’ histories allows students to not only absorb information, but also grasp hold of the similarities to their own culture.

“[We must] celebrate the impact of our diverse nation,” said Joseph.

Having watched Multicultural Day evolve each year over her career at East, Joseph says the performances are always fun and impressive. The tapestry, the imagery, and the lighting are all exceptional. Joseph believes there is always something to learn from the day, led by the talented student body.

Multicultural Day is a day to celebrate our similarities and our differences. Knowledge can break down cultural divides and bring us closer. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Cherry Hill East’s race demographics

Muskaan Batra

Eastside tries cultural foods from MCD booths

Claire Ding

(Claire Ding, Nico Spatucci, and Chloe Ren)

Photos from the MCD booths

Melanie Pedersen

East culture club advisers reflect on what MCD means to them

Claire Ding

Kaelan Faria (’27) and Makayla Montgomery (’28) dance together at the end of the AACC performance. (Melanie Pedersen)

Mrs. Jennifer Lasure – African American Culture Club

“Being of service, particularly to young people, is really a lifestyle for me,” African American Culture Club (AACC) Adviser Mrs. Jennifer Lasure told Eastside. “It's not just a job.”

Having advised the AACC for 13 years, Lasure cites her role as a true labor of love. As she tells her students, participating in MCD should not only act as a source of personal fulfillment, but an opportunity to serve and educate the East community – to use their time and talents to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

“[My husband and I] were both raised in families where community, culture and legacy were so important – where whatever we’d do in our adult lives had to be things that gave back to our community, and I feel the most important way for us to do it is through young people,” Lasure said. “I expect [my kids], when they leave East, to continue to be of service in whatever they do in life.”

Lasure explained that she is especially proud to have watched the AACC grow both in numbers and in their sense of empowerment since she began advising. Having watched her community unify and blossom through the Black Lives Matter movement up until now, Lasure has seen East students — and, by extension, the Cherry Hill population at large — grow in awareness of African American culture and history through the club. Namely, Lasure cites receiving Eastside’s 2021 “Person of the Year” award and their successful lobbying efforts toward implementing African American Studies as a graduation requirement as the club’s proudest accomplishment and the catalyst for their persisting growth.

“We believed that education was key, and that we needed to create a multicultural community where everyone was seen, heard and valued so we can all learn more about each other,” said Lasure. “When people say that young people are apathetic and don’t care about things, I know that is false because I see how passionate [students] are about things [they] care about, and that if [they’re] given the opportunity, [they’ll] do amazing things.”

Michaela Randall (‘21), one of the AACC’s co-presidents at the time, received the Princeton Prize in Race Relations and was profiled by Aramark for her work with the club. As generations of AACC members pass the baton — quite literally, as former presidents return to East annually to pass on club stoles — Lasure hopes to continue establishing a legacy and lasting impact on the East community through performance and education.

Nathan Aguelo (’26) dances to “Pauwi Nako” by O.C. Dawg during the FCS performance. (Melanie Pedersen)

Mr. Julian Vann – Vietnamese Culture Club and Filipino Culture Society

“In the end, you’ll find out that even though our cultures are different in some ways, we’re really all the same as human beings,” Vietnamese Culture Club (VCC) and Filipino Culture Society (FCS) Adviser Mr. Julian Vann told Eastside. “We want the same things to be successful: to be loved and respected.”

Having advised the VCC and FCS for two and four years respectively, Vann discussed the insight he has gained from leading communities so starkly different from both each other and his own.

“Growing up, my parents had friends who were passionate about different cultures… so I always had an appreciation for it,” Vann said. “But when you're younger, you don't get familiar with it and you’re not able to really look through the surface… [When you’re older], you start to understand a bit more deeply — you know, what we’re all connected by and what’s important to all of us. That’s the really special part.”

From the East Lunar New Year celebration to the community Lunar banquet, Vann expressed his pride in seeing both clubs work and grow in the months preceding MCD. Seeing several months worth of work – and the joy it brings to both club and audience members alike – is extremely satisfying for him as an adviser. His favorite part of MCD would be the booths because it “allows people to engage in other cultures in a place that disarms [them] – a place with a lot of food.” Seeing everything in one space reiterates the similarities we all share despite coming from different places.

Both clubs have grown immensely since Vann began advising, in part because of “cross-pollinating” between groups.

“Some people that are a part of VCC are also a part of Korean Culture Club or Chinese Students Association, and people in FCS might be in Hispanic Heritage Club,” he said. “By being in all these different groups and making different friends, I think all of our clubs have benefited in numbers… Everyone gets to embrace each other's culture, and I think that's what this day should be about.”

Vann’s departing message to his students is to “continue being open to all different things… If you’re going to college, and maybe you’re there to study business, take history or English courses that you probably will never have the opportunity to take again. Branch out, have different experiences, study abroad… Get out there and immerse yourselves in different aspects of every culture.”

HHC begins their performance wearing folkloricos. (Melanie Pedersen)

Ms. Yenith Baron-Santana – Hispanic Heritage Club

“We don't get represented as often in the media,” Hispanic Heritage Club (HHC) Adviser Ms. Yenith Baron-Santana said. “And especially because of the politics and things that are happening, I feel that [MCD] is our way to express ourselves and to feel counted and included in… the United States.”

Having co-advised the HHC with Mrs. Perez since she began her career at East – becoming the sole adviser just this year – Baron-Santana reflects on how HHC has grown and strengthened through the political unrest surrounding ICE atrocities nationwide.

“In previous years, students weren’t as dedicated,” Baron-Santana told Eastside. “But I believe that this particular group of students is very dedicated and autonomous. They want to express themselves and make their mark before they leave, and I think that passion is reflected in all the work they’ve done this year for and up until MCD.”

Throughout the year, HHC members lobbied against ICE activities at the Cherry Hill Winter Festival, where they performed and spoke to the mayor about their concerns, as well as organized the Feb. 6 ICE walkout. Their finale MCD performance also referenced Bad Bunny’s 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, as dancers held up signs with, “the only thing more powerful than hate is love,” written on them – a powerful departing message after a year’s worth of advocacy.

“I think that the political things that are happening right now have made them more open and eager to share their culture,” Baron-Santana said. “A few years ago, it was a smaller club and wasn’t as popular, even with the Hispanic students at East, but this year, I see so many more people taking pride in their ethnicity.”

Baron-Santana hopes her students continue “[showing] this same grit in whatever they chose to do in life… and maintain the feeling that they can obtain anything they want out of the world.”

Photos from the MCD performances

Melanie Pedersen

This photo gallery gives a comprehensive look into all the MCD performances from start to finish in chronological order.

East students describe MCD in one word

Zoey Dorn