The Student Equity and Belonging Club hosted its second annual Festival of Nations from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5.
The event featured live performances, various booths representing different countries and immigrant outreach through organizations such as International Institute of St. Louis.
Additionally, clubs such as Lifeline Collective, Gardening Club, Geography Club and the Marquette Academic and Cultural Club (MACC) participated. The involvement of these clubs was specific to this year, said Jordan Shelton, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) sponsor.
One of our major goals is to make sure as a building that our students feel welcome and celebrated.
— Jordan Shelton
Shelton, who helped organize this and last year’s festival, said putting the event together involves a deep understanding of how many students at MHS come from different places.
“We try to get an idea of how many students are interested in doing it because we have such a diverse student body,” Shelton said.
Shelton said the festival is important for building a sense of belonging to many students.
“One of our major goals as a building is to make sure that our students feel welcome and celebrated,” Shelton said. “It’s important to feel good about your school.”
Shelton said she looks forward to continuing to host the festival every year.
“I think it’s something Marquette can be proud of,” Shelton said. “I hope that we continue to receive support from the district for this work because it’s very important to our students.”
Junior Lucas Tourinho, co-president of the Student Equity and Belonging Club, described the event as a “fun opportunity to learn.”
“It’s a way to learn and educate while still enjoying yourself,” Tourinho said. “We essentially want to make a welcoming environment.”
Tourinho also hosted a booth representing his country of birth, Brazil, and advertised the event to teachers and students in the days leading up to the festival.
“It can be very stressful,” Tourinho said about organizing the event, “but it’s a lot of fun.”
Racquel Borland, sophomore, hosted a booth representing Jamaica. Having struggled to find people who shared her cultural background growing up, Borland said she was looking forward to representing her country alongside other Jamaican students at MHS.
“It felt nice to have someone to share a culture with since we don’t see it much here in St. Louis,” Borland said.
We essentially want to make a welcoming environment. It’s a way to learn and educate while still enjoying yourself.
— Lucas Tourinho
Their table featured different Jamaican foods and drinks such as sorrel tea, rice and peas, curry butter beans and fried plantains.
Borland said it’s important that students have an opportunity to understand different cultures.
“It deepens a bond within themselves,” Borland said. “They find out more about themselves and explore other cultures; I feel like it’s really important to gain that knowledge.”
