Sharon Piatek Hughes never lost touch of her Polish roots.
So when she saw the electronic sign board at Lawrence High School promoting “Polish Night,” she was intrigued by it.
Wanting some company, Hughes invited her friend, Monica Parsons, to go with her to the Dec. 7 event, which was organized by Lawrence High School’s International Alliance.
“My parents spoke Polish,” said Hughes, whose grandparents immigrated from Poland.
“We were dragged to Polish parties when we were children. As you get older, you want to get back to your roots,” Hughes said.
The two women learned a little bit more about Poland and Polish culture, including displays featuring traditional Polish textiles, a key chain featuring an eagle, which is the national symbol of Poland, and a flier for a school that teaches Polish language and culture.
But it was the Polish food that really resonated with Hughes – and Parsons, too.
“We ate our way through,” Hughes said with a laugh.
Parsons agreed. She said she loves the Polish language and the food, too – bilgos, which is stuffed cabbage; pierogies, which are filled dumplings; kielbasa, which is meat sauage; and kabonosie, which is a meat stick similar to Slim Jims.
There was more to Polish Night than pierogies and kielbasa, though.
Hughes and Parsons, along with other visitors to Polish Night, watched as Lawrence High School freshman Natalie Kobus – clad in a traditional Polish dress – played the accordion.
Then, the students joined hands and danced the traditional Polonez. Two by two, holding hands, they danced around the perimeter of The Commons dining hall at Lawrence High School.
Some of the students wore T-shirts or sweatshirts with “Polska” – Poland – emblazoned on them. Others wore clothing that featured an eagle, which is Poland’s national symbol.
The students also played a traditional Polish game. The girls took off one shoe and put it in a line. Once the shoes were lined up, one shoe was moved laterally and then another shoe was moved laterally.
The owner of the shoe that ended up at the door would be the first one to get married. When its owner was discovered – freshman Samantha Niemirka – there were shrieks of delight.
Meanwhile, Lawrence resident Jozef Mistura walked around proudly in his Polish army uniform. Mistura served six years in the Polish army before immigrating in 1976.
Through translator Ewa McGovern, Mistura said he thought it would be a nice touch if he wore his Polish army uniform to Polish Night. He belongs to the Polish Army Veterans of America, which has a Trenton chapter and of which McGovern is the secretary.
The International Alliance Club, which hosted Polish Night, presents special nights devoted to various ethnic groups and countries, said club adviser Ghazala Quddus, who teaches at Lawrence High School.
There are many Lawrence students whose families immigrated to the United States from Poland, and it was decided to hold a Polish Night to reach out to them and encourage them to join the club.
“This is the first time we have had Polish Night. It’s pretty awesome,” Quddus said as she looked around the Commons.
