Celebrating, conversing, and connecting at Catlin Gabel’s Heritage Day
By Luna Flores ‘26
A mural made by the CGS community covers the CAC gallery walls.
Courtesy of Erin Zanon.
It's a crisp October afternoon as sounds of music, laughter, and lively discussion fill the outside patio of the Creative Arts Center (CAC). A lively parade around the Catlin Gabel School (CGS) campus displaying country flags has just taken place, its aftermath felt as you step inside the buildings' decorated hallways. Cultural booths fill up the space, their captivating signs, snacks, and games displayed on tables, drawing in passersby as they engage in thoughtful dialogue.
Brightly colored signs for the Heritage Day event have covered the CGS campus since the beginning of September, advertising an annual celebration of our communities' cultures and identities. This year's Heritage Day included cultural booths, a selection of community member performances, and, of course, great food.
Murad Pirani—a Catlin parent and head of the Heritage Day committee—shared his insights as an event planner over the last two years, “I’ve always believed that Heritage Day is one of the most meaningful ways our community comes together. It’s an opportunity for families to share their culture, traditions, and stories in a way that fosters connection and belonging.”
Cultural booths displayed in the lower level of the CAC.
Courtesy of Erin Zanon.
Cultural booths are a central aspect of the Heritage Day Event. CGS families work for weeks on their posters, outfits, and selected trinkets that represent their cultures. Nivriti Behera, the Upper School Catlin Gabel Student Association (CGSA) Inclusivity Coordinator reflected on her personal experiences with Heritage Day.
Her attendance at Heritage Day, beginning in first grade, has repeatedly created moments of learning that have replaced preconceived notions she’d held about different types of cultures and places. “If you stop at any of the culture booths, people will really talk to you and you'll learn things that you might not have known from a Google search or a Wikipedia article,” said Behera.
A student performance group in the Black Box theater.
Courtesy of Erin Zanon.
Another successful portion of Heritage Day this year was the community performances in the Black Box theater. With a fully packed house, many got to witness students playing instruments, singing, reading poetry aloud, and dancing.
Pirani’s central role in this portion of Heritage Day made every moment of performance all the more significant, “Watching the student-led performances was definitely a highlight, seeing the students shine with confidence and joy was inspiring.”
Behera reflected on her participation as a performer year after year. From lower school until high school she danced a piece from an Indian classical dance form, Bharathanatyam, from South India. For her, “It was a way to share my culture, and dance is a huge part of my own identity, and I feel like Heritage Day is a place where you get to share that.”
Now a senior, she said this year was a particularly special Heritage Day being the first time she’d danced since beginning high school, “it felt like such a perfect Heritage Day to end on.”
A display of desserts in the CAC gallery.
Courtesy of Erin Zanon.
Though for many Heritage Day attendees, their biggest motivation to attend is for one important reason: the incredible food. Behera described how she remembers the food being something she always looked forward to with her friends and family.
Rachel Meltzer, a CGS sophomore in attendance at Heritage Day this year, expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to eat food and connect with peers outside of her immediate friend group, “we just got to talk and eat and it was really nice.”
Purani agreed that the food was delicious and allowed for people to come together, “You could feel the community energy everywhere.” At the Heritage Day event, all food is provided by families who choose to bring a dish from their culture, potluck style. Food is placed on tables that fill up the CAC gallery, purposefully not organized by cuisine so attendees can get a medley of items.
As a whole, this year's heritage day was a particular success. Meltzer shared her thoughts compared to the event last year, “more well organized…It seemed more lively!” Similarly, Behera added that high attendance and the general ambiance of the event were notably better than previous years, making it, in her opinion, the best one she's ever attended.
Pirani reflected on what made the event such a success this year. “Honestly, the teamwork. Working with this group was amazing.” The Heritage Day committee, which consisted of parent volunteers and faculty members, fostered a close knit group that was dedicated to making a memorable event.
Murad specifically wanted to shout out the work done by the entire Heritage Day committee: Deepak Behera, Ivonne Flores, Melissa Gardner, Dave Gonzalez, Robin Janssen and Alex Youssefian. To him, “Everyone brought creativity, passion, and a genuine commitment to making the day special.”
Behera spoke about how being in this environment often gave her an opportunity to connect with the greater CGS community and engage with unfamiliar faces. Across the event, new connections were being formed: Lower School parents connecting with Upper School students, Middle Schoolers speaking to Lower Schoolers, and even Upper School students getting to know their fellow peers.
Meltzer reflected on how she was able to connect with other Upper School students, “It's a very good community building event because I feel like I got to hang out with a lot of people that I don't usually hang out with.”
Pirani expressed the importance of events highlighting diversity and the celebration of identity in our current environment. He felt like we needed something that could bring people together, something that would bring intentional joy, inclusion, and a sense of belonging.
“For me, Heritage Day represents the threads that connect us, the shared experiences, values, and stories that remind us how much more we have in common than what sets us apart.” He continues to come back, and lead the Heritage Day event because he believes every student deserves an opportunity to feel seen and celebrate who they are.
A Lower Schooler getting ready for a cultural performance in the Black Box theater.
Courtesy of the Catlin Gabel School Instagram.
As one looks around the CAC, it's hard not to notice the vibrant chatter that fills the space, bringing a diverse community together. This celebration of identities is the “salad bowl” cultural metaphor in practice. As expressed by Janine Ungvarsky, author of Weather Encyclopedia, the concept of a “salad bowl” is treating individuals as if they are ingredients in a salad, “each immigrant or immigrant group maintains its own unique identity.”
In this metaphor, the salad symbolism is rooted in the idea that immigrants or individuals whose customs do not align with the dominant culture are still seen as people with separate identities. This concept is a direct contrast to the “melting pot” metaphor.
In the “melting pot,” each immigrant group blends together, adopting the culture, language, and practices of their new country, while completely eliminating their own individuality. By celebrating cultures and identities using the salad bowl model, communities feel greater connection with one another, a common experience at Heritage Day. As Pirani put it, events like Heritage Day help “students see that our differences are strengths and that curiosity and empathy are essential to community.”
For future Heritage Day’s, Pirani and Behera both hope to continue seeing high attendance and involvement in activities. Pirani expressed the importance of bringing curiosity, connection, “and a genuine excitement to celebrate each other” to the event, Meltzer also noted her desire for others to experience the benefit of attending Heritage Day, “it's just a really good show of different perspectives and just a great way to immerse yourself in other cultures.”
If you missed out on Heritage Day this year, or want to continue celebrating cultural events, consider looking at Bridgetown Bites’ 2025 list of Portland Area Cultural + Food Festivals & Events. It's never too late to celebrate different identities in communities and uplift each other through shared experiences.
The Heritage Day event will continue being an essential aspect of our CGS community, an event full of love and connection. Whether looking to learn more about different cultures, watching community performances, or having the chance to eat food from around the globe, consider stopping by when the next Heritage Day rolls around.