A Unified Youth by Athulya

A Unified Youth by Athulya - September 2019 Scholarship Essay

America is known for being a melting pot of cultures. Ideas and traditions from all around the world join together and intermingle to create a diverse country. Yet even with the recognition of different backgrounds, why do we still face confusion when asked about the cultures of countries around the world? While America rapidly gains more attention for being a place of distinction, its citizens continue to remain oblivious to the vast assortment of culture being infused within daily life. Many of our everyday habits stem from ideas originating from other areas around the world. We Americans take pride in what we deem as classic American foods- hot dogs, french fries, hamburgers, pizza, barbecue, etc. - without considering the possibility that the iconic food items were integrated from other cultures and into our lifestyles. If I had the opportunity to create a high school extracurricular activity, I would create a cultural appreciation club in order to bring awareness to the diversification which shaped America to be how it is today.
By creating a club intended to recognize and value the cultures residing in America, I am hoping to bridge the gap between diversity and commonality. Asian, European, African, Latin American, and even American culture will be discussed and evaluated during the club meetings. High school students still have so much potential, and the power to make a difference in the world is still within their uninformed hands. With a club designed to educate the youth about the values of cultural tradition, students in high school will inevitably be, at the very least, a little more knowledgeable in the unification of social traditions and lifestyles.
The organization will be named “Cultural Appreciation For All” and have the acronym “CAFA” to gain interest from curious teens. Once the club is established with a credible adviser at the high school, a school-wide call-out meeting will be broadcasted for a few weeks.This will ensure that the club receives maximum publicity and the potential to gain as many interested members as possible. The club will be extended to all grades because learning about new cultures and ideas should not be restricted to a certain age level, and all high school students are able to learn more about the diversity residing in our homeland. Meetings will be held every other week in order to be flexible with other people’s schedules.
The content of the club will mainly consist of learning more about each region of culture. When a specific culture is introduced during the meeting, there will be food and games relating to that culture in order to provide a learning experience that is not forced or monotonous. Members have the option of choosing whether they wish to present information and bring food on a specific culture they appreciate, or to simply enjoy the meeting as the leaders present their organized presentations. At the end of the year, providing that the school administration would be willing, CAFA could host a cultural unification festival at the school where all cultures explained during the year would be once again presented in front of a larger audience. This would ensure that the club members have retained the knowledge previously learned and provide a fun experience for the rest of the school.
Creating a club intended to appreciate the culture that has positively stained America will impact future generations and improve their ability in identifying the diversification in America’s history. I believe that in order for our country to be truly unified in the aspect of society, cultural awareness needs to be spread to the people. With the increased use of technology, the younger generations are undoubtedly able to make an impact in their future. A lively club with the benefit of hands-on learning will ensure that high school students remain engaged and proactive. Cultural Appreciation For All has the ability to educate the youth on the wonders of worldwide culture and create a newfound appreciation for the values of many countries.