On Sept. 29, Huntley High School’s Club for Recognizing American Diversity held its second event of the year to celebrate Latinx heritage and culture. It featured live performances from musicians and dancers, a live DJ, food trucks from local businesses, crafts, and community resources.
RAD chose to celebrate Latinx people this September for Hispanic Heritage Month, which will continue from Sept 15 to Oct 15. Each month, RAD puts out information or hosts an event to educate the Huntley community and celebrate different cultures.
Many students attended the event to grab food, explore, and enjoy the entertainment. Sophomore Talia Fattahian especially enjoyed trying the different foods and seeing [the] representation of so many different groups.
¨I really loved the food, and they’ve got lots of good options of things to do. The dancers were beautiful and so in sync, the churros were fantastic, and the decorations made it look really pretty¨ she said, ¨They do a really nice job with [the events] every time.”
Each event is carefully organized to highlight the community being celebrated. The RAD advisors put a lot of time and dedication into making sure they are providing an accurate and educational voice to groups of people who have not always had access to one.
To get the word out to as many people as possible, RAD utilizes Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook along with student-designed display cases in the halls. Advisor Lauren Teeter helps keep everyone in the loop and gets as many people as possible involved from all over Huntley. The Huntley Chamber helps RAD find businesses to participate in each event and reach out to more people. According to event planner Kinsey Wright, RAD draws a diverse group of people to join in on the fun.
¨We had some people from Del Webb that came and were super excited to check out our events,¨ Wright said, “Sometimes it just surprises you where people decide to come and join us from.”
RAD has only grown from its founding three years ago. This year there are 72 members, many of whom are new. Each member is committed to making each event bigger and better than the last. They meet four times per event after school to coordinate everything and are always looking for more members. They make a great effort to make each and every student feel welcome and all voices heard.
However, these events definitely do not plan themselves. Many hours of meeting, designing, volunteering, and decorating are put in by students and staff alike. For student committee advisor Reneé Fowler, the dedication and efficiency shown is always surprising.
¨The kids are always on it, they are ready to go. And the tables are out before you can even blink…we really appreciate the work the students are investing into this opportunity,” Fowler said.
Next month, RAD will be celebrating individuals with disabilities on Oct 21 at Marlowe Middle School. It will showcase businesses and guest speakers, have a sensory issue-friendly performance, and have craft activities.
