Unity Day

It was the 24th of June: Unity Day. What is Unity Day anyways? Unity Day is a yearly celebration/event for the St Andrew’s College community - which revolves around various cultural performances, food and fashion too! Unity Day aims to break barriers between cultures, but instead, build connections between various cultures. In a culturally-diverse school like SAC, Unity Day helps staff and students to understand the concept: “we are one, but we are many'' - which simply means everyone can still be in unity with each other, despite their cultural differences.

The day started off with a liturgy, which was led by one of the St Andrew’s Parish priests. The morning was so busy, that the Junior Campus hall was packed with staff and students from both junior and senior campuses!

• During the sacred moment, a traditional smoke ceremony was held, as smoke was wafted across the hall to symbolize the removal of sinful nature, so that people can be cleansed spiritually (in the Indigenous-Australian culture).
• The “Our Father” prayer was spoken through a variety of languages from continents like Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania and a guest speaker challenged the students to accept the unique cultures among the community and live in harmony.
• It wasn’t so much your average liturgy, but a liturgy which concentrated on cultural acceptance: an important value in St Andrew’s College!

At the end of the liturgy, the annual fashion parade commenced!

• All sorts of cultural attire were presented during the parade - like the barong (a traditional long-sleeved shirt of the Philippines) and the sari dress (a traditional dress of India and other East Asian countries)!
• The number of fashion models (aka students) was so high that the judges had such an exhausting time determining the best outfits for Unity Day 2022, but overall, everyone was left applauding for the colorful collection of fashion models!!

Before the first set of music performances commenced, there were a number of activities hosted across the Junior Campus - including tinikling, origami, African dances, grass-weaving, European handball and much more. Students sang in unison, jumped in unison and even played sports in unison - which shows how Unity Day can bring the SAC community into unison!

Three, two and one… the first set of music performances began.

• The performances started off with the national Australian anthem, which was heartfully sung in both English and Indigenous-Australian language!
• Other performances occurred which were based on Lebanese, Sri Lankan, American, French, Nepalese, Vietnamese and Pacific Islander culture.
• Despite the fact the songs were performed in foreign language, the audience was still captivated by musical talent within the performers. Some performers created their own songs, performed traditional dances and formed bands - a “one-of-a-kind” example of how music potential keeps on sparking within Greater Western Sydney’s popular school!

After the first set of performances, lunchtime began. The SAC community quickly stormed out of the hall, while others kept doing their duties to keep Unity Day moving forward and strong - including SAC’s very own media team (photography, video footage + interviews), the VET Hospitality Team (food catering), the VET Entertainment Team (sound checks on-stage) and much more!

Three, two and one… the second set of music performances began.

• And so once again, a colorful row of melodies shot through the campus hall!
• This time, Indian, Middle-Eastern, Irish, Filipino, Italian and African performances occurred. Many favorites were made obvious from the crowd (from the repetitive applauds and the crowd’s very own paparazzi).
• One of the favorites was the Year 9 Filipino band, who sang “Kahit Ayaw Mo Na” (”Even If You Don't Want To” in English). After a Filipino pop-culture reference (via Jollibee costumes) was made on-stage, the crowd went wild and a set of phone flashlights were suddenly raised and waved! What a surprise, yet joy to experience!
• Another favorite was the Middle East dance performance, who created a dance ensemble as wide as the sky! They danced in circles, beat the drums and carried each other up like they never did before! And even though the song was completely in Lebanese, the crowd joined in to applaud the performers and their joyful expressions!

And after the musical trip around the globe, the finale began. Like any other Unity Day, “We Are One” was performed: a classic Australian song that brought Australians into cultural harmony! The students gathered around the stage for the finale. They sang in unison, they swayed in unison and, most importantly, they felt a sense of unison/unity.

Thank you so much to all the staff and students who were involved in the Unity Day! Whether you were attending or helping out during Unity Day, we express our gratitude to you! Hope you enjoyed Unity Day 2022!

Benjamin Reyes (Year 9)
SAC Media Team Photographer and Writer