Andrew High School celebrates diversity, customs, culture

A nibble of plantain, a taste of biryani rice, and a slice of kras were all on the menu at the recent Andrew High School Project Diversity Culture Fair.

Students and staff had the opportunity to try foods from different cultures during lunch. Foods from Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Latin America were all represented.

Members of Project Diversity selected the dishes and which restaurants or stores catered them. A few of the delicacies included Frooti, a childhood staple mango drink from South Asia, majanat, a Middle Eastern baked dough topped with cheese, meat and zatar, as well as lumpia, a Filipino deep-fried appetizer filled with ground pork, cabbage and vegetables. In total, 36 dishes were available to sample.

The Culture Fair is a precursor to the main event in February, the Project Diversity show, which exhibits culture through dance and fashion shows.

Project Diversity celebrates cultures from around the world with different styles of fashion, food, and dance from six global regions! Joining Project Diversity allows students to embrace their own culture and introduce them to other cultures while finding friends from around the world.

The Culture Fair is a prime example of the district’s Strategic Framework in action. One of the Framework’s action plans is to increase participation of students with varied backgrounds
and interests in co-curricular programs. What better than a Culture Fair to entice students to learn and share about different cultures, according to Project Diversity sponsors Liz Venezio and Hiba AlOuri.