TJ Students and Community Come Together at CULTURE FEST
WEST JEFFERSON HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS — THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL
est Jefferson Hills WEST JEFFERSON HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS cKeesport
CITY OF MCKEESPORT NEWS
TJ Students and Community Come Together at CULTURE FEST
Thomas Jefferson High School ’ s International Club aims to celebrate the cultures in our community . This is done through meeting and trying new foods , sharing information , playing games and more .
The club ’ s advisor is TJ Spanish teacher , Mrs . Elizabeth Floyd . In 2022 , the International Club created Culture Fest and the event continues to grow and gain more recognition in the community . It ’ s a day where students , teachers , staff and the West Jefferson Hills community members can come together to learn about the cultures and countries that their neighbors and friends come from and embrace .
Senior Aaron DeNardo has been involved in International Club for all four years at TJ and has helped organize Culture Fest the three years it has been held . He is the club ’ s Vice-President for 2023-24 . “ Culture Fest gives immersion into the cultures that we have within the community , and helps you learn where the people around you come from ,” he said .
DeNardo and his fellow club members started planning for this year ’ s Culture Fest immediately after the 2023 event . They began by taking notes on the event ’ s overall outcome , then made the necessary changes to hold their best celebration yet . More than 20 TJ students helped organize and / or participated in the event . One aspect the club plans to change next year is to have more kid-friendly activities and possibly consider adding a childcare program .
There were several forms of entertainment for the attendees throughout the event . In the TJ Theater , cultural dances were performed for approximately 90 minutes . There were 15 dances from 10 different countries . In the TJ LGI , cultural board games and music were provided for the guests .
46 WEST JEFFERSON HILLS
By Lillian Bradford
After the dance performances and a chance to play a game or listen to music , everyone was ready to try a variety of food . Students and families prepared dishes from nine different countries . Among just some of the delicious food that was available :
• Dishes from Nepal included momo ( vegetable dumplings ), chow mein ( fried vegetables and noodles , and chatpate ( puffed rice with marsala , seasonings , and vegetables ).
• Dishes from Nigeria included jollof rice ( spicy rice ), peppered meat ( turkey and beef with a spicy sauce ) and fried plantains ;
• DeNardo oversaw the food from Poland , which featured perogies and haluski .
Delicacies from Cuba , Dominican Republic , India , Puerto Rico , Turkey and Venezuela added to the difficult decisions on what food to choose among the attendees !
Junior Ayomide Solotan , the International Club ’ s 2023-24 President , also has participated in Culture Fest the past three years . She represented Nigeria , doing the Bata dance , and South Korea , with a K-Pop ( or Korean pop ) style dance . She stated that “ It was nerve-wracking , but exciting . I was proud to represent my culture and do something I typically don ’ t .”
She stated that her favorite part of the event was getting to try all the foods offered . “ We were fortunate to have many families donate and volunteer to cook traditional meals , so there was a lot to eat ,” she said .
Ayomide added ; “ I am tremendously grateful to be able to participate and lead such wonderful people each year . Each one of the participants selflessly donated their time and energy to ensure the success of the event . It is also rewarding to see the growth of Culture Fest each year , which is a testament to the value and reach of the event .”
Mrs . Floyd declared that this year ’ s celebration of cultures in our district community was the best so far and she was pleased with the level of student and parent / community involvement and International Club students . She ’ s hopeful that knowledge of the Culture Fest will continue to grow and lead to more WJHSD staff , student and community attendance .
More than 100 people attended the event in February as Culture Fest continues to grow and help expand on the knowledge of all the cultures amidst our community .
Lillian Bradford is a Sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School