The world is unique and chaotic. There are many different cultures that it and it is impossible to fully dive into this diversity. With the diversity in the world, Briar Woods High School can be seen as a microcosm of this diversity.
In Germany, Oktoberfest is an annual festival began over 200 years ago as a celebration of the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria. It is a holiday when people wear traditional clothes, eat food and drink beer.
“Every October I would go there multiple times, it was really fun,” Kerstin Rome says, a student who lived in Germany for 8 years.
Germans love this holiday due to its atmosphere, live music, a market, games and the most important – smiling people. Oktoberfest is the holiday where these boundaries are erased and everybody enjoys the day. “If I would say hello to someone in Germany, they would be really confused. They would be like “Do I even know you?” Kerstin mentions.
Approximately 300 miles away in Afghanistan, students celebrate “Teachers Day.”
“People in Afghanistan really value knowledge, because even today women are not allowed to go to school. That is why there are a lot of online courses where women are secretly teaching other women. Back in the days my mom used to teach two thousand kids in her house because they were not allowed to go to school. They made a schedule so they could come at different times and study in their garden and house” said Makeez Jabarkhel, president of the International Club of Briar Woods.
Before the teacher enters the class, students would compare whose gift is the best. As a part of tradition students would give the biggest present to their favorite teacher. Students would come early in the morning to decorate the whole class, bring food and write a paragraph about the teacher.
These two celebrations are only two of the many that are celebrated in the month of October. Everyone should be willing to explore the world because it is important to work together to move society forward. And exploration of a variety of cultures is the first and the easiest step in order to help the world become a better place.
