Melbourne High

The Cultural Connections Club was important to many. It was a club that invited students of all backgrounds to come together to learn about and celebrate their differences. While the IB Culture festival that happened once a year invited students in a similar fashion to that of the Cultural Connections Club, the personal nature of the club has been lost for now. Mr. David Peck, a Chemistry teacher here at Melbourne High School was the sponsor of the club and greatly enjoyed the space it provided students. 

The Cultural Connections Club, while defunct now, was in a big swing last school year. Mr. Peck stated that “Last it was most in swing. Student leaders were very adamant about it”. Students would take charge in the club to handle event planning as well as the schedule for each meeting. Students that participated enjoyed it greatly as well, Mr. Peck said, “A lot of the students even made their own boards for their own cultures”. The club was important to the students, however, it was made up of a considerable number of upperclassmen, so when the school year came to a close, so too did the club.

While for many students, the prospect of no longer having the Cultural Connections Club may seem disheartening. Each year at Melbourne High School, there’s still Culture Fest to try foods of other cultures as well as learn about them. The Cultural Connections Club brought students from all kinds of backgrounds together to celebrate their cultural differences. So, while this club has ceased operation for the time being, students are still encouraged to enjoy the unique distinctions of them and their peers' cultures.

The Culturally Connected Chemist: Mr. David Peck, the former sponsor of the Cultural Connections Club and a current Chemistry teacher here at Melbourne High School, works on further material for his class. The Cultural Connections Club was “...a space where students could celebrate their differences and feel comfortable,” said Mr. Peck. In his own Chemistry Class, he strived for a similar feeling of comfortability. Mr. Peck said that he does “...love being with and helping the student body”, and though his career, even if its not a part of the Cultural Connections Club anymore, he has had the opportunity to do exactly that. Photo By: Aiden Kehayias