International Fair gives students a chance to share about other cultures

Cape Girardeau Central High School on Wednesday hosted its first International Fair, where students and the public had an opportunity to learn about other countries and cultures.

Adult international students who are learning English as a second language set up more than a dozen displays about their home countries at the event, which was organized by the high school's world language and adult education and literacy departments.

Some of the countries represented included Vietnam, Korea, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Mexico, and the displays included art, utensils, books, crafts and pictures.

When ninth-graders Kyra Pearl and Lara Youngermann reached a display about Mexico, they greeted students Adriana Valadez and Brenda Gutierrez in Spanish.

Kyra and Lara are taking a Spanish honors class at the high school, and both girls agreed it is important to learn more about other cultures.

High-school students Jonathan Landon and Alandria Fletcher discuss places they would like to visit during the International Fair on Wednesday at Cape Girardeau Central High School. (Glenn Landberg)

"My grandfather is from Mexico, and I wanted to be able to speak to him," Kyra said, adding she also hopes to learn Japanese. Lara said she plans to study French.

"You shouldn't just limit yourself to knowing only American culture," Kyra said. "It's good to know everyone else's, too."

Kyra said one of the most interesting things she saw at the fair was the origami at the Japan display. Student Yoko Yamanashi said crafting the origami took one month and 200 pieces of paper.

Yamanashi said she didn't know any English when she began taking the English as a second language course two years ago.

She was nervous about talking with other students at first Wednesday, she said, but everyone was friendly and asked several questions about the origami, as well as other craft items on the table.

Ru Si, who is a Chinese teacher at the high school, said some students have never traveled far from home, so the international festival was a way to open their minds to other cultures.

"The world is so connected now, and they use computers every day," she said. "They know the outside world, but they never see them with their own eyes or talk to these people."

Si lived in France for four years and said she benefited a lot from her experiences. France is also where she first saw an international fair. After she talked with school officials, they decided it would be a good event to have at the high school, especially because so many cultures are represented in the district.

Rollene Storms, who teaches the adult English class, said she's always learning from her students.

"There's a lot of insight into their culture," she said, adding she has taught students from 40 to 50 different countries. "They love America, but they love their countries, too. And this was a wonderful opportunity for them to share some beautiful things from their country."

klamb@semissourian.com

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