Although a majority of Oak Forest High School students might not be aware of every active club and event, there are certainly a few that deserve recognition. Oak Forest High School offers multiple clubs that celebrate students’ cultures and traditions. It is important for schools to represent and understand their students. One of the strongest ways to unite not only students and faculty but also the community is positive cultural representation. The largest cultural groups at Oak Forest are Diversity Club, OFHS Heritage Dance Team, and World Language Club.
Diversity Club is responsible for Oak Forest High School’s very own Culture Fair. Each year students create posters, prepare dances, wear cultural attire, and bring traditional foods to share with others. Each culture has a booth to decorate and a designated performance time. In the past, Mexican, Indian, Palestinian, Polish, Scottish, Filipino, and Nigerian groups prepared performances. Many danced as well as performed live music in the IMC for OFHS students.
The Culture Fair is one of the Diversity Club’s largest events, bringing together students and educating them on so many different cultures. The fair celebrates students’ traditions, cultures, and languages. Students can learn new dances, taste new foods, and learn interesting facts–all in one day. Not only does the Diversity Club hold the cultural fair each year, it also hosts the Ramadan Iftar dinner. Diversity Club’s members volunteer to serve meals and decorate the cafeteria to break the fast. The Ramadan Iftar dinner is open to the entire community and yields a large group. The club orders food from Arab restaurants in the community and serves a buffet each year. The Iftar unites Oak Forest and connects the community to its students. Both events–the cultural fair and the dinner–are open to anyone of any culture. They are great experiences all around. If you are looking to be a part of the cultural fair, please contact either Mr. Andruch or Ms. Shaikh.
Oak Forest High School introduced its very own Heritage Dance Team last school year, seeking any students interested in sharing their traditional dances with others. The OFHS Heritage Dance Team made its debut last year at JV football and basketball games. This new and upcoming club provides a safe place for students to learn and share any traditional dances from their culture with their peers. Ms. Shaikh started the Heritage Dance Team as a sister club to the Diversity Club, which Mr. Andruch oversees. Ms. Shaikh states, “The whole reason for starting the Heritage Dance Team is that we know you guys [cultural fair dancers] worked so hard on these great dances and I wanted to start this club to show your dances throughout the year not just at one event [the Culture Fair].” After creating a safe space for students to practice their dances for the Culture Fair as well as connect with students from other cultures, the Heritage Dance Team began to perform at different events in the district. For example, these cultural dancers performed at the Tinley Park International Fest, which resulted in their appearance on the Tinley Park news channel. At this event, multiple schools in the district performed cultural dances, poetry, and songs. The OFHS Heritage Dance team performed both a line dance with the Hispanic group and a Dabke, which is an Arab footwork dance. If you are interested in learning more about this awesome dance team, make sure to contact Ms. Shaikh in room 533.
Ms. Arellano’s World Language Club is also responsible for multiple cultural events throughout the year at OFHS. The World Language club plans activities for all language classes during International Language week (such as decorating the halls, making crafts, and sharing their cultural backgrounds). In the past there have been art competitions that highlight each year’s theme, movie days, and time spent playing games in the IMC. Along with language week, the World Language Club works closely with all language classes to decorate the IMC for Dia de los Muertos. Members decorate a large ofrenda, and students wishing to honor a family member or friend may place photos. The World Language Club unites students in OFHS language classes (French, Spanish, Sign Language). Although OFHS only offers 2-3 languages, the World Language Club has members from multiple countries and who happen to speak different languages. Each year, members also host a day in the IMC, teaching different languages, dances, and cultural foods. For example, there were presentations on France, Spain, Cuba, and Palestine. These presentations, which members create, include language pronunciation, informative videos, and pictures representing different cultures. The World Language Club has educated multiple classes on so many different cultures around the world. Its members truly enjoy sharing the traditions that they practice.
Students and faculty can always learn more about the people around them. In the process of learning about other cultures and countries, people can understand others’ experiences and appreciate one other. These cultural clubs allow students to feel represented in their community. They offer an opportunity for students to speak native languages, share culture, and inform others. Culture is such a large part of life; it creates lifelong relationships between students, faculty, and families. We appreciate the work of these clubs and look forward to this year’s events.
