Three Heritage Day events at Upper Campus gave the Pinewood community the chance to acknowledge its diverse, interconnected heritage. From student-run tables stocked with cultural foods to traditional performances in the Cue Quad, Upper Campus was lit up with an acknowledgement of the different cultures at Pinewood.

The events kicked off with an assembly on Apr. 10, in which Mão Pelo Pé, an organization that teaches the Brazilian martial art of capoeira, led students in an interactive demonstration of the spirituality of the tradition. After reviewing the history of African slaves in colonial Brazil and how the interaction of different cultures led to the creation of capoeira, they demonstrated the martial art: the smooth, easy flow of the motions and the sway of the rhythmic music. Students had a chance to try it out for themselves with partners, giving them a chance to explore a culture and tradition they might not have otherwise encountered.

In advisory on Apr. 11, students gathered together to create posters celebrating their heritage to tape to their classroom doors. Several doors on campus are now decorated with colorful drawings of food, words scribbled in other languages, flags, symbols and more. Soon after, as everyone rushed to the tables set up in the Cue Quad, students were able to wander through a maze of different cultures’ histories, as told through food, decorations and information boards.

Finally, on Apr. 13, the Pinewood community enjoyed an all-school event at Upper Campus with performances from Chinese fan dancers, singer Krishan Gupta, the Chinese Youth Symphony and a Bollywood-fusion dance troupe. Additionally, they were able to explore tables from a variety of different cultures.

“I really enjoyed getting a taste of all the different cultures,” junior Gabby Yang said. “I ran the Korea table for the first time and loved teaching people about my culture while also getting the chance to learn about everyone else’s culture.”