Emma Carcamo, senior, has always found it important to represent her Honduran culture.
Carcamo is participating in Culture Fest, which will take place Thursday, April 3, in the commons from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This is the event’s third year. It was formerly known as the Festival of Nations.
Culture Fest tickets are free for Rockwood students but still must be reserved in advance. Adults and non-Rockwood students can purchase tickets in advance for $2 and the day of for $5.
“I really like events where we are able to represent our culture,” Carcamo said. “At other Rockwood schools they have a culture fest, and I figured that would be good to bring to Marquette.”
Carcamo is on the president’s board for planning Culture Fest. She said a major part of organizing the event includes contacting outside organizations to attend the festival.
“We’ve contacted the St. Louis Cultural Flamenco Society, a samba group and the Chinese school, which are all coming to do performances,” Carcamo said.
Carcamo said the board also contacts the student body to see if any students would like to be involved either by performing or hosting hosting a booth.
“One thing that helps connect us all is food,” Carcamo said, “We will be able to learn more things about other cultures and our fellow students.”
About 21 countries will be represented through booths, as well as through other MHS clubs and student organizations, like the Geography Club and French Club.
With MHS being one of the most diverse high school in the district, according to Rockwood’s website, Jordan Shelton, language arts teacher, said Culture Fest revolves around recognizing that diversity.
“One of the really cool things about public schools is that we bring in so many different walks of life and we serve every single student,” Shelton said
Shelton said the festival is mostly student-led, while she helps advise them and run their parent committee.
As MHS is a big school, Shelton said, she hopes that the event will make students feel more involved in the school, and feel like they belong at MHS.
“It’s a way for us to celebrate what makes us unique, but also what makes the same, which is love for our school community,” Shelton said.
Wanting to learn more about the different cultures that make up MHS, Aaryan Srivastava, sophomore, signed up to volunteer at Culture Fest with some of his friends.
Srivastava said students will benefit from the event as it’s an opportunity to look at specific cultures they don’t know much about.
“Maybe just gain a bigger understanding, rather than just knowing what you know, and actually getting facts and a thesis from it,” Srivastava said
