International Cultural Society (ICS), is a club at CHS where students have the opportunity to learn about other cultures and participate in events to celebrate different holidays.
In the full extent of the club, it has gathered students to decorate, give gifts, share food and stories, and more through the goal of wanting to celebrate diverse cultures in the CHS community.
“I think the main message is to be aware of the different cultures and […] to understand that we are a mix of different cultures and we have to get together and learn about our differences,” said adviser Yanet Sandoval.
Members of the club also share the same sentiment, as they see the club as beneficial through the exploration of something new.
“I think every time when students come in they’re learning something, they’re exploring something and their worldview just changes […] because they’re exploring the new culture. So culture impacts our life a lot even though it might not be visible but it actually does [change] a lot. […] It also includes the clothing, the way […] we think, […] and then also even food,” said junior Chinora U, president of ICS.
At club meetings, students present about their own cultures or the board members present about a certain holiday based on the month. This way students get to share about their own culture and experiences but also get to learn and bond with others.
“Usually we always have a different presentation from our students and from our board members. We do a lot of colorings, we do a lot of activities like bracelet making, we do […] henna, we make a lot of decorations for upcoming holidays and also we bring a lot of international candies and share with each other,” said Chinora.
Members also participate in many events at CHS, similar to other clubs, such as Halloween Happening or Winter Wonderland, but are also involved in Multicultural Day at Commack Middle School.
“I really like Multicultural [Day] because that’s more specifically directed with our meetings because we are the International Culture Society. And it’s impactful because there are many little kids that come and we get to teach them about the values of different cultures. I think last year we did […] drawing flags and we wrote […] something in the specific language of the flag you drew, and then it was a phrase they now knew in that new language,” said junior Selin B, co-vice president of ICS.
Through this club, students feel connected with different cultures and those around them as culture can be a defining part about who someone is. ICS also promotes open-mindedness and readiness to try new things, whether that is new foods or listening to different music.
“I think it’s a really good way to show open-mindedness because you will be introduced to new cultures, new religions too, because I think that’s also a big part of culture. We do teach a lot about cultural values, cultural food, [and] you can get a taste for that,” said Selin.
ICS meets twice a month around the time of different monthly holidays. One can join by coming to meetings when they are announced on the morning announcements or obtaining the Google Classroom code from the district website or from someone who is already a member. 
