Iman Saif (287)

At Central High School, we celebrate a diverse range of cultures from around the world, allowing students to represent their traditions and connect as a community. Multicultural week, a significant occasion throughout Central history, is dedicated to each cultural club and allows them to showcase their lifestyle and customs in various ways. This includes traditional dances, outfits, songs, and much more! Each of these groups goes above and beyond, dedicating not only their time but also considerable effort, staying after school hours to practice and fundraise to afford these events that allow them to express their origins to the entire Central community. These big showcases are held in the auditorium during advisory throughout multicultural week to allow every student a chance to support their classmates and embrace the diversity of our long-standing school. Within this important week, clubs are also given the opportunity to decorate a designated hallway in the school building to showcase the beauty of where they come from with flags, beautiful lights, and banners. This is designed to let every Lancer learn more about different civilizations all over the world, with an additional prize given to the winning clubs for the best decorated hallway for first, second, and third place.

How do students feel about multicultural week? Maya Basualdo, a member of the 285 class, said that this occasion is one of the major events that make our school stand out. She believes that this event allows our peers to express and learn about different backgrounds. What brings her the most joy is being able to share her own cultural foods, such as arepas and tequeños from Venezuela and Argentina.

Most students enjoy the opportunity to explore new cultures with friends and classmates, but how do our teachers view this experience? Based on the opinion of Mr. Nagy, an English teacher for freshmen and sophomores, this week is very enjoyable and emphasizes our school’s diversity. He especially takes an interest in the day when everyone brings in their own traditional dish, as this gives him the chance to get a feel for these customs as well. While being a teacher, Mr. Nagy is also a parent of a 287 student who was extremely excited her first year here in experiencing such a diverse school environment. Many events interfere with teachers’ planned lessons, but this occasion does not. Instead, this week helps teachers like Mr. Nagy to connect more with his students in understanding them as a person, while also not compromising his teachings.

Ultimately, Central’s long years of being one of the most diverse schools have had a magnificent impact on not only the alumni but also on the current students. This event is one of many that celebrate and strengthen our community while also educating us on cultures from all around the world.