As a means to unite the school’s cultural clubs and celebrate diversity, multiple club leaders and sponsors organized a multicultural festival alongside school administrators.

The festival occurred on Jan. 24 in the NC cafeteria from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., student activities director Peter Geddeis said. Each partaking club had their own table or booth to set up and access to a large performance area near the cafeteria windows. This permitted them all to highlight their cultures in unique ways, from dance performances to tables of traditional foods to works of art. Many of them were also dressed in clothing that represented their culture as well.

“I think it is a natural fit as an event here at LT and something that we’re proud to include within our large events that we do here,” Principal Jennifer Tyrrell said.

This is only the second year LT has hosted such a festival, Geddeis said. The idea was originally brought up due to the tremendous growth in the last several years in creating cultural clubs.

“When I first [started] here, there were only maybe five or six culture clubs, and most of them were related specifically to the languages we teach here,” Geddeis said. “Since then, the numbers have nearly quadrupled—so clearly there’s an interest.”

Correspondingly, involvement in the festival has increased as well. What started last year as a small gathering of only seven or eight clubs became a large event with over 11 clubs, 150 attendees, and a special appearance by the Mariachi Sirenas, an all-female, Chicago-based Mariachi band.

“It [was] a really cool event overall,” festival attendee Thia Kaul ‘28 said.  “It [was] so nice to see representation from all different cultures.”

The festival was a largely student-driven event, with much of the organization and preparation placed in the hands of club leaders, Geddeis said. They worked with their club sponsors to decide how their table would be set up, choose which parts of their culture to showcase, and encourage people to spread the word.

“Every club [got] to determine how to take part in it,” Geddeis said. “This is what we want[ed]: to let them decide.”

Administrators and club sponsors alike hope that the festival sparked conversations and friendship between people of different cultures and that students learned to better understand and appreciate others’ heritages.

“Exposure to diverse perspectives encourages students to develop better communication and collaborative skills,” Polish Club sponsor Yvonne Glodz said. “[It] teaches us to appreciate our differences [and helps] students feel more welcomed and valued.”

Last year, the festival was held on April 12 but was moved a few months earlier this time in order to encourage more students to attend, as there is a high volume of testing and activities later in the semester.

“The [festival was] an awesome opportunity for our cultural clubs to connect with each other and to connect with our school community,” Tyrrell said. “We are blessed to have a diverse student body and, really, a diverse larger LT community as well.”