About 12 students performed traditional East African dance styles such as Gurage, Tigrinya and Hedareb at Bellaire International Students Association Fest on stage in the auditorium on April 17. These students represented the East African Student Association, upholding a club tradition since BISA Fest’s return in 2022.
Sophomore Saron Kahsay joined EASA at the start of the school year. She was drawn in by the opportunity to meet new people and celebrate her heritage.
“I love that we’re able to meet other people who share the same culture as us, especially as a small minority within the school,” Kahsay said.
Senior and co-president Suzana Gaym led practices with other officers, choosing music, teaching dances to members and coordinating rehearsal spaces. Club members rehearsed the performance for over a month, altering and re-choreographing dances.
“We had to learn new dances and agree on which ones to perform, which was tough because everyone had different ideas,” Gaym said. “Narrowing it down to just four dances wasn’t easy, but in the end, it all came together really well.”
For new members like Kahsay, rehearsals were as much about bonding as they were about preparation.
“While we did have some hectic practices, especially as we got closer to the performance, practices [were] a time of having fun and messing around while learning the dances,” Kahsay said.
After the performance, EASA members celebrated with dinner at Bahel Ethiopian Mart and Kitchen, a local Ethiopian restaurant. For Kahsay, one of the most memorable moments came at the end of the night as the group gathered to take photos.
“I remember that time as a bunch of smiles and laughter and a great way to end our night,” Kahsay said.
This year marks a new chapter for EASA, which welcomed Mr. Johnston French, OnRamps Precalculus, IB Math SL and Algebraic Reasoning teacher as its new sponsor, after previous sponsor and Chemistry teacher Sossiena Demissie-Sanders left Bellaire.
“I just knew the club president and she asked me because I had taught her the year before,” French said. “It’s a really lively group of kids. They’re a lot of fun to be around. It’s been cool to watch their meetings.”
EASA, a mainly student-led club, heavily relies on officers to coordinate events and meetings. According to French, his involvement has been relatively limited, though he remains willing to continue supporting the club if needed.
“I kind of just host them, but it’s a pleasure to host them,” French said. “If they continue to need a sponsor, I’m happy to keep doing it, [but] if they found a sponsor who wanted to be more involved, I think that would be excellent for them.”
As co-president, Gaym notes how the club has “grown and changed in some great ways.” The club has had more meetings, more opportunities for volunteer hours and more students joining compared to previous years.
“I’m especially proud of how many students we encouraged to participate in BISA [Fest],” Gaym said. “At the start of the year, not many people were willing to perform, but we were able to motivate them and get them excited to be a part of it.”
Gaym first joined EASA during her freshman year while exploring different student organizations at Bellaire. She was looking for ways to get involved and connect with communities that reflected her background.
“When I heard about EASA, I was really excited for the chance to meet other Habesha students and learn more about our culture,” Gaym said.
Looking back on the year, Gaym appreciates the close community EASA has created on campus.
“There are a lot of things I love about EASA, but the main one is the memories we create and the friendships we build,” Gaym said. “I love how we come together to form a small community within our school; it feels like a family.”
To learn more about EASA’s future meetings and events, follow its Instagram @bellaireasa_.