They didn’t have 80 days, so the students and staff at IS 126 in Astoria went around the world in an evening. Through music, dance, food and PowerPoint presentations, the approximately 170 parents, teachers and students who turned out for the school’s fourth annual Multicultural Festival on May 22 were treated to a whirlwind tour of the globe, visiting countries as varied as the Dominican Republic, Romania and Bangladesh all from the comfort of their school’s auditorium. The diverse student body brought their cultures and countries of origin to life through dance performances of Dominican bachata and merengue, Puerto Rican plena, Russian ballet and other dance forms from Greece, India and Africa. Two students from the Punjab region of northern India played drums and sang traditional songs; another, from Bangladesh, sang in Bengali. Others, accompanied by traditional Romanian music, participated in a demonstration of gymnastic forms from across Europe under the direction of their Romanian instructor, while another group modeled the various fashions of South Asia. And everyone got to sample a wide variety of the tantalizing dishes and cuisines on offer. For Spanish teacher Fantina Roll, who founded and coordinates the event, the festival is a chance for students and staff to share their respective heritages and learn from one another. “It’s important that they respect each other and themselves,” she said. Roll and Chapter Leader Phil Barone also praised Guyanese-American colleague Ann-Merisa Narain, a special education teacher, for coordinating the evening’s food and decorations.