Mia Estrada
mestrada@foghornnews.com
Collegiate High School’s second annual Culture Fest showcased cultures not just from students’ native countries, but also LGBTQ+ and drag culture.
Jeva Adame, a Collegiate High School senior, explored through the countries and recognized each one.
“It’s good to be exposed to other cultures, and I recognize the effort our school is making by having this annual tradition,” Adame said. “The festival brings light to all cultures and is a good place to educate one another.”
The festival was put on by Model United Nations and Culture Club. Volunteers wore traditional wear and brought customary food that belonged to their culture, educating students about significant background details.
Collegiate High School senior Dominique Trujillo wore drag makeup and high heels to present LGBTQ+ and drag culture to students.
“I wanted to show the students that, yes, this community is different,” Trujillo said. “But because of these differences we are able to achieve and do things that challenge society and what is considered ‘normal,’ like drag, for instance.”
Along with different cultures, students were surprised by the live music as they gathered around student musicians and dancers. Students performed the National Anthem, acoustic Mexican music and folklorico danced.
Even though Collegiate is a smaller school, with about 400 students, there are rare times when students come together to celebrate one another.
Jenny Mora, a Collegiate High School English teacher and Culture Club sponsor, gives credit to the club and MUN members for highlighting the different cultures on campus.
“I want students to put aside the misconceptions that they might have about certain cultures and research and investigate things that might not be commonly known about cultures,” Mora said, “so they could lead to a better school environment.”
