DISCOVERING CULTURES AT AC

SIVAN YOSHA

Culture can be expressed and defined in a wide array of ways. Food, clothing, music, customs and religion are all aspects that can fit under the umbrella of culture. At AC, this week there are a couple of May Terms highlighting cultural variety, exploration, and differences through food, music, and more. These experiences can foster an appreciation for other cultures and a recognition of the importance of sharing culture. Ms. Rogers and Senora Martinez are facilitating a May Term called The Art of Italian Cuisine that explores Italian culture through cooking. This week students have made pasta dishes, garlic knots, anise cookies, burrata toast, and more as well as learning Italian words and phrases. At the end of each day, the students have the opportunity to taste their dishes they made earlier. The other cultural May Term happening this week is Exploring Black and Asian Cultures. This is a student-led May Term by Chris Smoker and Harmony

Palmer that exposed students to other cultures and steered away from the traditional Euro-centric history that is mostly taught today. Harmony and Chris planned and executed a different theme for each day. On Tuesday they focused on music and dancing, on Wednesday they focused on art, and on Thursday they learned about activism in Rochester. They’ve done origami, calligraphy, made sushi, danced, and taken a tour in downtown Rochester on the history of activism and Fredrick Douglass in Rochester. Culture will always play a significant role in any group or situation and it will always be important for people to venture out of their own customs to learn about experiences different from their own. May Terms this week have done a great job of accomplishing this and opening students’ minds to new things.