Multiple clubs set up tables in the Commons during Mods 1 and 2 of Ac Lab on Wednesday to celebrate the Festival of Holidays.
Organized by the Geography Club, the Festival provided clubs with a venue to share information about numerous holidays from a variety of different cultures. The organizers also provided attendees with snacks and games related to each holiday.
Katie Bauman, model UN sponsor, oversaw the Model United Nations table to promote the Model UN club. Bauman said the festival could help create a sense of community among the students.
“This is a really diverse building that has lots of students from lots of different backgrounds and religions,” Bauman said. “So it’s an important part of teaching tolerance and understanding.”
She also said that, in addition to being a good learning experience, the event gave students a chance to socialize with one another and have fun.
“I noticed most students are playing the games and making the ornaments, so they’re getting a lot out of this event,” Baiman said.
Della Thompson, French teacher, oversaw the French table.
“The purpose is to let kids know all of the different cultures and their holidays around this time of year,” Thompson said.
Students at the French table made paper Soulier De Noels based on the tradition in Northern France where people put their shoes outside the fireplace to be filled with treats and toys for Saint Nicholas Day celebrated on December 6. This concept is very similar to the American stocking, according to Thompson.
“Being able to know about other cultures and appreciate other cultures opens your mind a lot more and makes it easier to work with diverse groups,” Thompson said.
Louis Chen, junior, is the president elect of the East Asian Student Association (ESA). His table shared elements from Asian culture such as Japanese paper dolls and shrimp chips, a Japanese snack.
Chen said the main reason he participated in the event was to promote his culture to his peers.
“The diversity helps people see the world from other people’s points of view,” Chen said.
Riley Gregory, junior, is the social media advertiser for the Geography Club and was one of the officers for the event.
“I think a lot of times we only see specific views of holidays, like how to celebrate Christmas,” Gregory said. “Having celebrations of holidays we know but from different cultures can be really educational.”
Evan Voelker, junior, attended the event. He said the event was a good way to get students into the holiday spirit before the break.
“I think it’s good that we celebrate all the different holidays that there are,” Voelker said. “Sometimes I forget that there’s a lot more than just one.”
