Panther Creek celebrated the many cultures represented by the students through a school-wide cultural fair on January 11. The event was planned by the Student Council to represent the diverse cultures of the school. PCNN reached out to Keona Pathak, a key organizer of the event, to further discuss diversity at Panther Creek and the success of the fair itself.

Pathak said in her interview that it was a happy surprise “to see how many people actually participated and showed up to the fair”. It is reasonable to infer that the reason for this is the level of diversity present in the school. Panther Creek is significantly more diverse than other schools in the area; according to conducted polls, 65% of PC students are of diverse racial backgrounds.

On the day of the fair, the entire room was filled with displays and tables of students eager to educate others about their culture. They used beautiful presentations, wore traditional clothing, and even offered tasty cultural foods for others to try.

“My favorite culture that I learned about was the Nepali culture.” Pathak revealed. “It’s between India and China and it’s just really cool how something so similar to India but so similar to China can just come together and create its own culture.” She said that she “hadn’t seen [Nepali culture] until I learned about it at culture day.”

This represents the core of what culture is really about. Pathak commented on this topic, saying that culture means “appreciating where everyone came from and my roots.” She gave an insightful example from her past: “My family worked tremendously hard to give me the experiences and opportunities I have today.” This event allowed other students to proudly present their culture and live authentically in their identity.

Pathak wrapped up her thoughts nicely. “Being on student council and helping plan it… it was obviously very nice to see how much of a success it was.” Pathak both engaged with other booths at the fair and was able to interact with others who represented her own culture.

She spoke for all participants when she remarked: “It was really nice to see Panther Creek come together as a community to celebrate and promote diversity in the school.” PCNN could not agree more.