Celebrating cultures, appreciating the diversity at Lawrence High School

Students and faculty at Lawrence High School spent one of the last few weeks before spring recess, commemorating the cultural diversity of our school community. Lawrence High’s annual Multicultural Week included various events and was richly enjoyed by all.

The week began with placement of a world map in the main lobby that students would place stickers on indicating their various nationalities. There were also various flags hung, which students could sign to show their national pride. Each school day began with exotic music being played over the school’s public address system, followed by regular announcements.

On Tuesday a World Cup soccer tournament was held in the gymnasium at the end of the day. Various teams hailing from Italy, Brazil, Pakistan and more competed for the world title. After several rounds, cheering, goals, tricks, and excitement, Brazil emerged as the World Champions of Lawrence. The festivities continued with the sale of scrumptious cultural foods on Wednesday after school, perfect for the walk or bus ride home.

On Thursday, the National Honor Society held its annual Culture Fest. Honor Society members spent numerous weeks orchestrating the event, which included contacting various local businesses for food donations, organizing the music, coloring flags, and deciding which meals from their culture to contribute. The event took place from 5 to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria, and the evening was filled with succulent foods from a wide range of cultures such as Italian, Indian, Jamaican, Latin American, and more. There were also sweet treats for after dinner. The night continued with dancing, laughter and fun, and students and faculty left with full stomachs and full hearts.

Lawrence High School’s celebration of diversity ended with our multicultural assembly on Friday morning. Students and faculty were invited to the school’s auditorium during periods three and four to enjoy a magnificent show depicting the rich culture of LHS.

The show featured musical performances from Life Rhythms depicting Caribbean rhythms. Along with dance performances by the African American and Latin American Clubs, and soloists Anoushka Guha who performed a traditional Indian dance and Anonna Sumaiya Ahmed and Catherine Barrientos who performed a Bollywood-inspired number. Members of the Hebrew Culture Club played a round of Kahoot with the audience, a mariachi band representing the rich Latin American culture a thrilling performance as well.

Several other groups augmented the show making it a true treat for the] audience. A unifying video titled “I AM LAWRENCE” featuring photos and videos of students and faculty closed the show.

Lawrence High School’s multicultural week is a time, in which members of our community celebrate and appreciate each other’s differences. But it is also when we spend time making beautiful memories together and come to realize that although we are different in a multitude of ways, we have more in common than we would have thought.