As he stands in the middle of an open field, Louis Luong (10)  looks to his left and sees Belgium and Switzerland, and when he looks to his right and sees Germany and India; there is no other place he could be except for the Festival of Nations.

On the weekend of Aug. 29-30, Tower Grove Park, located in downtown St. Louis, was home to the festival that featured more than 40 nations. Countries like Turkey, Mexico, Italy, and Vietnam were all represented among the booths filled with food and activities.

Some of OHS’s own were able to experience the festival thanks to the foreign language department. Of the seven foreign language teachers, about half offered their students five extra credit points for attending, learning, and participating in the festival.

Luong was one of the many kids who went to the Festival of Nations. When asked about it, a smile lit up on his face and he said, “I liked the culture exposure and coconut water.” He also mentions that he would go back again next year if he had the chance.

About one-fifth of the students who were offered this experience took advantage of the opportunity and engaged themselves in their community and other cultures.

“The walk might have been hot and long, but it was still worth the experience to see what other countries had to show,” Mr. Roger Wilke, AP World History teacher, said.