Fergus students celebrate array of cultures with community
CWDHS opened its doors for Culture Fest, organized by the school's Students of Colour Alliance
FERGUS – Scents wafting from a large spread of food welcomed people into the library at Centre Wellington District High School on May 16.
There was curried chicken, masala cookies, pizza, pakoras, hummus and challah, to name a few.
Students, staff, their families and community members filled plates and found places to sit down and mingle during Culture Fest, organized by the school’s Students of Colour Alliance (SOCA).
Guests were encouraged to wear their own cultural attire, and many came sporting colourful dresses or tartan kilts.
Students and SOCA members Leyah Beeston-Thompson and Avani Upadhyay led the organizing of the event.
The alliance works towards cultivating “an inclusive and empowering space where students of colour can celebrate their identities, share in collective joy, and foster a strong sense of belonging and solidarity,” according to its vision statement.
“The Students of Colour Alliance strives to uplift, support and amplify the voices of all students of colour, creating a community rooted in joy, celebration resilience and unity.”
It’s a student-led group with guidance from teachers Jose Martinez and Alannah Sawatsky.
Upadhyay and Martinez both told the Advertiser they felt happy about the turn-out, especially as it was the first time the club had organized Culture Fest.
SOCA T-shirts and hoodies, designed by Upadhyay, were available to order during the event.
The shirts have the word “unity” in six languages – Spanish, French, Swahili, Tamil, Hindi and Korean.
The words circle around a mandala – a symbol found across many cultures around the world that often symbolizes unity, harmony and/or balance.
Culture Fest included mandala crafts for attendees to complete, as well as a broad range of colourful and informative display boards about countries from all over the world.
The boards were created by SOCA members, allies and teachers about countries they either lived in for a long time or have ethnic backgrounds in.
Guests were encouraged to comb through the display boards to find answers to 13 questions in a scavenger hunt, such as “What drink is Sri Lanka known for producing?” and “What is the name of a traditional fabric in Nigeria?”
