St. Thomas is blessed to have a distinctly diverse student body. Students come from a rich variety of cultural backgrounds, each one of which contributes to the overall make-up of the student body. Many students feel intensely passionate and proud of their cultural background. This naturally leads students to look for avenues to express their identities. To this end, cultural events at St. Thomas create an environment where students can express and demonstrate the variety of cultures and backgrounds present at the school; where students can become more aware of the rich cultural traditions among the student body; and where the bonds of brotherhood among students of varying cultural traditions may be strengthened and enhanced.
Generally, through the cultural events at St. Thomas, students are exposed to different cultures through several mediums. For example, during the Hispanic heritage celebration, students are able to experience Hispanic culture through food, music, and dance. By introducing students to these aspects of Hispanic culture, the students’ perceptions of the world are widened, and they are better able to understand the distinguishing characteristics of Hispanic culture.
Through the students’ exposure to a diversity of cultures, the students are better prepared for the diverse world they will encounter after high school. The broader world that students will experience after high school is incredibly diverse, and thus, St. Thomas students will interact with people from a diverse array of cultures and backgrounds in their personal, professional and academic lives after graduation. In this respect, the cultural events hosted at St. Thomas provide a basis for students to be open to cultural diversity and to better understand peoples of diverse backgrounds. In this way, their future interaction with peoples of diverse cultures will be facilitated and enhanced.
Furthermore, cultural events at St. Thomas reflect the spirit of inclusion and acceptance of students from different backgrounds in the St. Thomas community. As a Catholic community, this spirit of inclusion and acceptance of all students is inherent in the broader mission of the school and is a fundamental tenet of the school’s values. At St. Thomas, all students are valued as people that are called to learn and demonstrate “Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge” throughout their lives. Therefore, the cultural events at St. Thomas demonstrate a larger desire to foster mutual understanding and camaraderie among students.
Additionally, these ideas are supported in a study by the International Journal of Education, Humanities, and Commerce. In this study, the International Journal found that “hosting diversity events and celebrations…offer opportunities for learning, appreciation, and intercultural dialogue.” They also found that cultural exposure “fosters critical thinking, encourages the exploration of new ideas, and promotes a deeper understanding of the complexities of the human experience.” To this end, the cultural events offered by St. Thomas lead to deeper connections among students and provide students with opportunities to learn more about how different people live their lives around the world.
Overall, the cultural events sponsored by St. Thomas are highly beneficial to the student body. They provide exposure to other cultures and cultural practices and allow students to better understand the perspectives of peoples around the world. They further create a sense of belonging and unity among the student body and contribute to the sense of brotherhood St. Thomas strives to foster. For this reason, the cultural events at St. Thomas are important to the objectives of the school and should continue to be practiced and valued for the atmosphere to which they contribute.
