Spain Park High School celebrates World Heritage Week
Posted 10:27 a.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 2022
By NOAH WORTHAM | Personal editor
VACUUM – Students at Spain Park High School celebrated their heritage and shared it with other students during World Heritage Week.
World Heritage Week was celebrated from Monday October 17 to Friday October 21 and featured activities that students could participate in to promote cultural awareness and global citizenship.
“For me, World Heritage Week is an opportunity for us to celebrate the diversity within our community and for students from all cultures to feel recognized,” said Spanish teacher Rebecca Suarez, “from learn that they are part of a larger global community and to encourage global citizenship.
Throughout the week, students had the opportunity to hear from other students in the school about their family’s legacy and what it means to them. They were able to learn how to say hello in different languages, and some students took the pledge of allegiance in their heart language, Suarez said.
The new principal of Spain Park High School also shared her thoughts on the celebration.
“I say that every week I feel like I have a new favorite thing about Spain Park High School, and I think World Heritage Week (is) one of the things that might remain a definite favorite. because it’s such a representation of all the amazing things and all the amazing students that we have here at Spain Park,” said Dr Amanda Esslinger. “Yesterday we had dances from Nigeria and today they brought Germany, and all these different cultures that are represented by our students who learn about themselves and then also about others.”
The SPHS Art Department provided several works of art to celebrate the week.
Two Culture Appreciation Club agents shared their perspective on the event.
“World Heritage Week is an important opportunity for me because, as an international student, I can share my culture with friends and teachers, express myself and celebrate away from home,” said Maya Bowen, Senior and leader of the Culture Appreciation Club. at SPHS.
There were 62 flags in the library to represent students and faculty with heritage from these countries.
“Everyone has something special going for them,” said CAC officer and junior Zainab Derkaoui. “We may have these differences, but at the same time, within each culture, there are similarities that we want to show. We want to show ourselves that, yes, on the outside everything can be different, but on the inside there are many things that bring us together.
On Wednesday, October 19, from 1:20 p.m. to 2 p.m., students gathered at the library to hear a selection of performances.
The first was the Life Skills Drum Circle class who performed on the song “Wavering Flag” by Somali artist K’naan. Students in the dance class performed traditional dances from Bavaria, Vietnam and West Africa. After the dance performances, two students performed a dramatic performance of two poems by former American Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. The performances in the library ended with two South African Zulu songs performed by the combined choirs and the school show choir.
“I think things went really well,” Derkaoui said. “It was really amazing how everyone came together for this week and how we planned everything.”