On March 16, the West Springfield High School History Department teamed up with the SEI (Sheltered English Immersion) Department to host the 5th annual History and Heritage Fair. This event was held in the cafeteria, which was decorated with an array of different types of cultural food as well as historical displays and posters. Within the initial opening minutes of the event, it seemed as if the cafeteria was already flooded with wandering eyes and smiling faces all around. Throughout the night, those in attendance munched on multi-cultural dishes and danced around to the be
at of the music. It was clear that this event was one that was very enjoyable for all students, teachers and families of all ethnic backgrounds.
The cafeteria was instantly filled with excited faces and hungry bellies at 6:00 pm. As soon as guests walked through the doors, it was impossible not to notice the wonderful aroma of freshly baked snacks, dinners and treats as well as the display of poster boards and projects, showing off the hard work of the students of West Side High’s History Department. While many people walked around to admire the projects, sat down at a table with friends or made their way to the dance floor, everyone’s first mission was find a plate so they could start dishing out as much food as they could get their hands on. The food choices throughout the cafeteria included a wide range of countries, such as Irish corned beef, African rice, and even food from Antarctica. Junior Kyle Maiolo enjoyed the variety of food very much. “There was this rice from Africa. I don’t know what it was called, but it was wicked good.” Other favorites included sweet and savory pierogi, meatballs, Caribbean-style chicken, and a lobster bacon mashed potatoes.
Not only was this event filled with many students, but many teachers also came back to school to attend. History teacher Mr. Robert Pettengill enjoys the fair each year. “We have so many people from different parts of the world and a huge variety of cultures, religions and ethnicities coming together to create this international cuisine,” he said. Pettengill also shared that the best food that he tried was the corned beef, and he tried many other dishes including stuffed grape leaves. Not only did teachers from the History Department attend the event, but teachers from different departments around the school came together with their families to celebrate culture. Even Student Resource Officer Wise was in attendance and enjoyed the evening as he made his way around the different food tables. The faculty and community in attendance displayed the strong liking and interest in the different cultural backgrounds that make up our school.
Not only do the students and their families make this event successful, but the great mind behind this whole idea was brought up in 2013 by history teacher Mr. Stan Svec. He claims that, “it is successful because of great teachers, motivated kids, and the buy-in from the community.” His involvement with the SEI Department to create this event has been greatly appreciated throughout the years, and it will continue to grow in the years to come. This annual fair is special to West Springfield High School because of our supportive faculty and administration.
Another important factor that makes this event so special to West Side is our student diversity. In our school, we have many, many different cultures; this is something that makes our school community so much more unique than our surrounding towns. Without the great ethnic diversity that we have, the History Department and SEI Department collaboration would not be possible.
Not only did those who attended this event eat foods from a variety of different cultures, but they also were able to listen to different types of music as well as see different styles of dance. Throughout the night, many different students stepped up with their friends in order to show off their dance moves and have a great time. “My favorite part of the night by far is the music,” Pettengill said. He isn’t the only person who enjoyed the music, however. There was not one second during the night when the speakers in the cafeteria were not filling the entire room with different rhythms and melodies of songs not only spoken in English, but in many other languages as well.
As a whole, our school community is especially grateful to have such a unique night of the year where everyone can enjoy some food they would have otherwise never tried and listen to some music that they would have never heard before. This event would be impossible without the acceptance and support of the West Springfield High School community as well as the collaboration of the History and SEI Departments. The community is already looking forward to next years event!
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