BY CAITLIN LAFLOWER
The Polish Heritage Club launched earlier this school year. The club offers opportunities to share and experience Polish culture through club meetings and events. Students from a Polish background looking to find community and any students looking to learn more about the culture can join.
Prior to this school year, OBHS lacked Polish representation, so Presidents Izabella Porowski and Natalia Klemendorf sought to fix the problem. “I started the Polish Heritage Club because I knew that there are a lot of Polish people in the school, and we didn’t have a Polish club,” said Klemendorf.
Many students struggle to find somewhere to celebrate their culture. “Polish representation in our school is important to not just me, but also others who are polish,” added Porowski. “It’s a way for people to get together and talk in Polish, relate to different issues and subjects, and help others learn about the culture and the language.”
On November 17, the club hosted a belated Polish Independence Day event (traditionally celebrated on November 11) in the cafeteria. Attendees of the event celebrated by eating traditional foods and deserts such as pierogis, apple cake, poppy seed cake, and krustiki (a flaky type of cookie), along with mint apple and cherry apple juices.
Pierogis, a dumpling-like dish featured at the event, has various filling options. “You can fill it with potato and cheese, meat, and mushrooms,” explained Emily Korona. “There are also ones with fruit, such as blueberries, cherries, strawberries. If it’s blueberry, you can top it with sour cream and sugar. The potato and cheese can be butter, bacon, and onion.”
The club also celebrated Wigilia, the traditional Christmas Eve vigil supper, on December 19 in the cafeteria. “On Christmas Eve, there’s a tradition to have 12 dishes, which are mainly fish because we don’t eat meat until Christmas Day,” stated Klemendorf.
The Wigilia event offered a variety of different foods for attendees to enjoy. “We celebrated with different pierogis and various Polish desserts,” shared Vice President Gabriela Kotowicz.
Along with tasty entrees and snacks, the club also celebrated with the Polish music genre “disco polo,” which Kotowicz described as “party music and a little bit of rap.”
The club has organized a fundraiser to pay for future events. “We are selling different types of Polish candies and chocolates for $1 or $2 in Mr. Bustamante’s room (Room M230),” said Porowski. Students looking to support the club can stop by room M230 during lunch periods and experience a bite of Polish culture for a small price.
Though new, the club has a promising future. The presidents strive to create a comfortable community for Polish students. “Our goal is to spread our culture to people who want to learn and become more educated on our culture, while also having a good time with baking and cooking different dishes,” said Porowksi.
For future updates on the Polish Heritage Club, follow them on Instagram @obhs.polishclub.
Posted on 1/30/24
Photos by Caitlin Laflower
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