Upon entering the Sister Ambrose Reggio Gym, students are immediately transported to Spain, Ireland, Africa- without leaving Walmsley Avenue.
On Nov. 10, the Multicultural Club hosted its annual showcase. This year, Dominican welcomed special guests, St. Augustine High School Brass Band, as part of the performance lineup. In addition, students from Lafayette Academy traveled with Dominican by dancing hip-hop and an African style dance the festival.
The performances ranged from parading in cultural dresses, to Irish dancing around the center of gym floor. Club President, senior Nanami Okawauchi, demonstrated martial arts by fiercely kicking boards by representing the country of Asia. Seniors Andrea Garces and Samantha Silizear invited the audience to dance with them in a Salsa dance while representing the Latin American culture.
“I think the festival is unique and in a way that we were able to celebrate not only different cultures from around the world, but New Orleans cultures as well,” says Okawauchi. “It is so nice to see the student body get together and participate in a festival that celebrates a variety of different cultures and traditions that are outside of Dominican.”
With forty Dominican students involved, the performances this year took Dominican around the globe. “The purpose of the festival is to celebrate the different cultural expressions, not necessarily having a foreign background,” says club moderator, Ms. Claudia Vallejo.
“The multicultural festival was so much fun,” said eighth grader Camille Vincent. “It was my favorite lunchtime event because we all ate together and watched these cultural presentations.”
Both the students and faculty greatly enjoyed the diverse performances, and are anticipating next year’s showcase.
– Brogan Hausknecht
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