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On Friday, February 3rd, students will be hosting a Somali Cultural Night at Eagan High School. The event will include a fashion show, a musical performance, dance, and several speakers. The event’s coordinators hope to motivate Somali youth and teach others about Somali culture.

“We thought it would be a really great idea to bring different cultures to our school, especially the Somali culture because Minnesota has such a huge Somali population, so it’s a great way to educate people and get them involved,” explains senior Lani Hardwig, one of the organizers of the event. Minnesota has the nation’s largest Somali population, totaling to over 25,000 people.

The henna booth located in the library in early January was a fundraiser for the Somali Cultural Night. Henna is a plant-based paste that temporarily stains skin. Zahra Mustafa, an Eagan sophomore and organizer of the event says, “The henna fundraiser was to raise money for the event going towards decorations and food.”

There will be three speakers at the event. The first is Ifrah Mansour, a Somali poet who recently wrote a play called “How to Have Fun in a Civil War.” The second and third speakers are Fakarudin Mohamed, a computer scientist, and lawyer Guled Ibrahim. “I chose these speakers because they have experienced the civil war in Somalia and went to refugee camps before coming to America as teens,” says Mustafa. “Today if you look at them, they have achieved a lot. They went from being ‘poor African kids’ to well-established individuals,” she explains.

“I want students to know that if you support a cause or feel like you are not well-represented in your school, know that there are a group of people who feel the same way. You can surely do something about it. It doesn’t have to be a big event. You can start a club. All you have to do is ask Dr. Reikowski,” concludes Mustafa.

The Somali Cultural Night will take place in the auditorium from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Admission is free.