On Thursday Feb. 22, OHS hosted its first Somali night. Somali night was a cultural event hosted by the Mixed Roots program to clarify and inform about Somali lifestyle. The group is advised by Ms. Jokela and Mrs. Mahad.

The night started with both the Somali National Anthem and the United States National Anthem. They then led into the dancing portion of the night. Dancers Hamid Nur, Abukar Abdi, Abdul Farah, Ruweyda Abdullahi and others shared a series of Somali dances. They gave things a twist by performing a few modern dances such as the milly rock and the folks. Nur  said, “It felt like home, I would do it again if I had the chance.”

After the dances, the group gave a brief presentation on Somali culture concluding with answering questions from the crowd. The night finished off with a feast of dishes from the Somali culture. The headcount was significant, and the audience really enjoyed themselves. Mrs. Gail Tratz said, “It was good to see students taking pride in their culture through their presentations and dances, and it was fun to see them being themselves outside of the classroom.” The Mixed Roots program hopes to hold more events like this in the future.

Mixed Roots is a program where kids can go to have fun and learn about other cultures. It is called Mixed Roots because it welcomes students from all backgrounds. The program takes place after school every other Wednesday from 2:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.