February 24th-28th was Selma High’s Cultural Week. Selma High’s Leadership team planned and organized this week on campus. They hosted different events and activities throughout the course of the week. On Monday, music from different cultures and genres played in the quad. On Tuesday, the leadership team put on their very first “Cultural Fair,” in which they had many different tables and interactive stations that allowed students to learn more about and appreciate their own cultures.
These stations included an infoboard on different cultures around the world, an interactive map in which students could place a pin and display the places that they identify with, a flag guessing game, and an international snack tasting station. The snack station was very popular and garnered much attention as it held snacks along the likes of “Lays Garlic Roasted Oyster Chips” from China, and Italian “Ladyfingers.”
“The oyster chips were my favorite snack that we had at the table,” stated Mia Balderas, who worked on this event. “They tasted kind of fishy but not in a bad way.”
This “Cultural Fair” was different from what the leadership team had done in previous years, but “it went well, and it seemed like the students on campus also enjoyed the event,” Mia Balderas stated.
Tuesday was also a cultural dress up day in which students were encouraged to come to school wearing any clothing that reflected their cultures or backgrounds.
On Wednesday, Los Paisanos performed in the quad for all of the students to see. This performance reflected the wide Hispanic culture of the school.
Thursday was the last day of lunch activities and had a pop up from the SHSS Punjabi Club. The club gathered in the quad and handed out samosas and chai to students. This brought lots of attention to the club as the food ran out quite fast.
When asked about the results of Cultural Week, leadership student Roman Gomez stated, “We had a lot more going on, we had a lot more activities, and I thought the food was cool.”
This week was a success, taking risks and trying new things that many would agree paid off. Cultural Week gave the time and space for students to not just recognize and appreciate their own cultures but explore and learn more about other cultures as well.
