Culture Fest exposes students to diversity

Lawrence High School’s cafeteria was transformed into a pit stop for all cultures on April 29. Every year, the National Honor Society, an after-school club of the top scholastic seniors, advised by French Language teacher, John Limoncelli, holds an event known as Culture Fest, which resembles a mini of Disney Epcot Center. The doors opened at 7 p.m. and students, teachers and their families were encouraged to eat, dance, and celebrate the cultural diversity our school is known for.
In the weeks leading up to the festival, members of the club split up into groups, each representing a country of their choosing. Every group designated which dishes they were going to cook, and made a poster with pictures and fun-facts. A $5 entrance fee was charged for a fun-filled evening with friends and an all-you-can-eat, home-cooked buffet. Culture Fest is the honor society’s biggest event of the year, and all the proceeds collected by the club will help fund its other community activities, such as the Halloween Safe Trick-or-Treat that was held earlier in the school year.
    Some Society members changed into international costumes as the walls and ceiling of the cafeteria were decorated with colorful streamers. An eclectic array of foreign music played in the background, and Chinese lanterns, Indian pillows, national flags, and posters adorned their respective booths. The food was displayed, steaming hot and waiting to be tasted. As you walked from table to table and eyed the Italian ziti, Israeli dip and pita, Asian sesame noodles, Russian crepes, and more, a Pavlovian response could not have been avoided. Everyone who attended seemed to eat past what would normally be his or her limit, myself included, because, well, how could you not try everything?
In the midst of chatting and chewing, everybody sat down to watch the Latin American Club perform an exciting, choreographed dance. Continuing the entertainment, were two peers of mine, Krishana Raghubeer, a fellow member of the honor society, and her friend Kevin Etwaru, who showcased a traditional Bollywood dance to further enhance our enjoyment and celebration of different cultures.
Culture Fest is about seeing the beauty in differences, and then taking a step back to realize that no matter what food we eat or how we dress, we are all one in the same. “[This] is a chance for students to learn about their peers’ ethnic backgrounds. Although we all came from different places, it gives students a chance to unite as one community,” said Honor Society Vice President Georgina Hudja, explaining the event’s importance and why it is an annual event.