By: Katarina Maldarelli and Sarah Le Tonqueze
With thousands of distinct cultures in the world, it is difficult for students to get exposed to them, because they are often too wrapped up in school work and other activities to have the time to do so. However, the importance of cultural diversity and learning about people's different backgrounds cannot be overstated. Learning about different cultural traditions and backgrounds enriches one's life, positively shapes one’s views of the world, and allows for more empathy and open-mindedness. In addition, it contributes to personal growth and promotes social harmony. Belmont High School recognizes the importance and benefit of exposing students to many diverse cultures, which is why they hold an annual Cultural Exposition Day. This event is built into the school day, so it enables all BHS students to learn about these different cultures without having to carve time out of their already busy schedules.
There are three parts to Cultural Exposition Day; the Food and Culture Fair, Community Circles, and Club Presentations. During the Food and Culture Fair, student volunteers run tables representing their respective countries, where they share their distinctive food, music, clothes, and other traditions with their peers. Many fascinating countries were represented at the Food and Culture Fair this year. In fact, the cafeteria was practically overflowing with a stunning range of diverse and interesting cultures. Upon entering, one is greeted with a dazzling array of colorful flags, food, and the music of different countries filling the air. The tables are positioned in a loop, in order to enable students to easily navigate around the many countries and spend a little time savoring each. Students are allowed to choose how they will navigate through the event. They can decide which countries to visit, and what foods they want to try. Each country’s traditional meals and snacks are presented, so there is an almost endless buffet of edible offerings.
The second of these stages was community circles. A short video was shown to explain the significance of community circles and their benefits. It stated that people who were able to recognize others and determine similarities formed a greater sense of community. Here, students had the opportunity to find community by sharing about themselves in a safe space. Prompts were cued on the board, and students took turns answering the questions, or opting out if they wished. Once answering the prompt, students would thank the circle for listening and call out who they were passing the object to next. This activity was a respectful, yet engaging way to empower students and learn more about each other and recognize differences in cultures in a safe space.
The final stage took place in the auditorium. Starting off, Mr. O’Brian read out the Massachusetts land acknowledgement and showed a video explaining its importance and significance. A land acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes the indigenous peoples that were the original inhabitants of the land we stand on and recognizes their displacement due to colonialism. Following this, representatives from two student-run clubs presented their clubs, encouraging people to join. First, the Armenian club presented facts about Armenia and its history while sharing important aspects of their culture. This was followed up by a dance presented by the Napali club. Both of these presentations informed students on the respective cultures. These demonstrations were an insight into the cultures present at BHS. Students gained knowledge about the clubs present at school and into the Armenian and Nepali cultures. By offering an opportunity for clubs to present themselves and what they represent, BHS empowers students to inform others about their cultures and parts of their identities.
At the end of the event, we interviewed a number of students to get their input. We were somewhat surprised that there was only positive feedback. The students interviewed described their experience as fun, informational, and delicious. With regard to the Culture and Food fair, some remarked that they were surprised and pleased to see students they recognized representing certain countries, and then to hear the different types of music each country is known for. Most of all, they expressed pleasure in being able to try a variety of traditional food offerings. As for the Community Circles, students found them very interesting and were happy to have been able to participate. Finally, students remarked about the club presentations that they really enjoyed watching them. One specific performance they especially enjoyed was the intricate traditional dance performed by one club
Overall, the third annual Cultural Exposition Day was a big success, and students came away with increased knowledge and understanding of the various different cultures present in BHS. We sincerely hope to see this continue for many years.
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