Ahmad brings Pakistani culture to Wildcat audiences

Not all field trips necessitate a passport or sleeping in airports waiting for connecting flights. Sometimes, cultural enrichment comes calling in a far more personal way.

Sophomore Sameer Ahmad added a new element to Diversity Day by presenting on the culture in Pakistan, where he grew up. He was thrilled at the opportunity to share his culture with fellow students.

“I was at a different school last year and I did the presentation there, so I waited for this day all year because I love presenting,” he said. “That’s why I talked to the staff members, and they agreed to let me present.”

The talk ranged from sharing what schools were like in Pakistan to explaining unique aspects of the Muslim religion. Senior Shyanne Peerenboom was in Ahmad’s audience, and walked away with a greater understanding of Pakistani culture.

“They focus a lot on school, and it’s very important. I also learned a lot about marriages; I found that interesting,” she said. “There are arranged marriages, and also marriages that aren’t arranged but they have more restrictions. Here, you can just go to Vegas and marry someone, but in Pakistan there are more restrictions.”

When preparing, Ahmad relied solely on his own life as evidence.

“I believe the best thing to present is to share the personal experience,” he said. “I did not research anything; I just said whatever I know about my religion and my country.”

Diversity Day builds bridges of understanding for Wildcats in attendance.

“It really provides them with information about different cultures and different people,” Ahmad said. “I would say half of the students here I do not know, but now I’m familiar with them and they know me. It’s a good way to communicate.”

Sophomore Emmy Reichenberger’s eyes were opened to the differences in schools across the world from Ahmad’s presentation.

“I learned a lot about how schools in Pakistan are very different then in the US. They’re a lot more strict,” she said. “I feel like we complain a lot at school about teachers, but what Sameer was talking about sounded a lot worse than it is here.”

Media Assistant Kelsey Gates enjoyed Ahmad’s first-hand description of the culture in Pakistan and was glad to see his peers being receptive.

“I learned a lot because I didn’t know much about Pakistan at all. It was really interesting to hear the perspective of someone who used to live there,” she said. “Comparing the different types of schools was really interesting and I loved hearing all of the students engage in conversation and ask different types of questions. That was fun to see what they had to say about it as well.”

Ahmad feels that Diversity Day reflects well on the school’s ability to embrace differences.

“It really shows how welcoming West is towards all cultures and all people,” he said. “We see nowadays there are discriminations towards several communities and celebrating this day is really a supportive way of showing how welcoming we are towards all nations and all students.”

Ahmad believes giving students the opportunity to share their cultures truly does benefit students.

“I think it does have an impact, and it’s also a good way for knowing cultures because most people are not familiar with the things that people present here,” he said. 

It’s important for everyone to learn about traditions outside of America, even for those who might live in Wisconsin their whole lives, according to Gates.

“I think it’s always helpful to learn about different cultures and different countries especially if you never live anywhere else, because how else do you know what life is like for other people?” she said. “It gives you another understanding of other cultures and different people from different places.”

Overall, Ahmad has had a great experience at West due to all of the possibilities there are to explore individual passions.

“The teachers are really supportive and especially really friendly, and there are a lot of opportunities I have found here that I won’t be able to get back in the Middle East,” he said. “Electives are one of those; you have the choice to take classes which you may be interested in in the future, and this is not what happens in most Middle Eastern schools.”

Building relationships has been a highlight for Ahmad.

“My favorite part of attending West is spending time and getting to know different people. I believe after high school, we don’t make a lot of friends so high school is the place of really interacting and knowing people,” he said. “I still remember the first friend I made; I just randomly went and sat at a table and I still know them and we’re still friends.”

Ahmad hopes West continues its tradition of inclusivity and welcoming all with open arms.

“West should keep doing these things and keep promoting the idea of embracing all cultures and all people,” he said.

by Abby Furcy

Published April 24, 2023

Oshkosh West Index Volume 119 Issue VII