On Sept. 23, ninth-graders and Link Crew leaders crowded the field to have a cultural potluck. Supervised by the Link Crew Commissioners, students brought foods representing their heritage and identities and participated in field games, including a “crab scavenger hunt.” In addition to the snacks they brought, students also enjoyed Vietnamese food provided by the cafeteria, inspired by the meals ninth-graders read about in Oakland-based author and high school teacher Thien Pham’s graphic novel “Family Style.”
“We knew this year we wanted to make a concerted effort to build community within the ninth-grade cohort,” English 1 teacher Colleen Williams said. “Two of our English teachers, Ms. Leishman and Ms. Llewlynn, proposed having the ninth-graders read this novel last year, and when we took a look at it together we realized it could be a great novel for all 9th graders to read together at the same time. We thought teaching this book together at the same time would be a great experience for the 9th graders, and since each chapter is based around a food memory, we thought hosting a cohort-wide potluck would be so fun.”
On the day of the potluck, ninth graders filed in carrying their snacks and meals, bringing everything from freshly baked chocolate chip cookies to tangy Italian candies to a pot of savory fried rice. Ninth-graders sat in groups led by Link Crew leaders. The groups discussed what food meant to each student, and the traditions surrounding eating together with friends and family around holidays or in everyday life. “I loved seeing how interested the ninth graders were in each other’s food,” junior and Link Crew Leader Teia Adler said. Students discussed ways to be more inclusive to others who may not have a lunch table to sit at or who are new to the school and from another country, an experience recounted by Pham in his graphic novel.
In addition to the snacks they’d brought, students were also provided with a Vietnamese-style lunch courtesy of the cafeteria. “It’s nice to eat Vietnamese foods like they did in Family Style. I’d like to try the spring rolls from the book; they look good,” ninth-grader Summer Wong said.
After their discussion, the ninth-graders participated in a “crab hunt.” Quite literally, the students search for paper crabs hidden around the field. After the hunt, students were free to roam about the field, continue eating their lunches, or play games of bowling, cornhole, or slipper toss, the latter of which was featured in Family Style as a game Pham played as a child.
All the while, Family Style author and Bishop O’Dowd High School teacher Thien Pham greeted students and answered questions about his novel. Students, Link Crew Leaders, and staff took a picture with Pham at the end of lunch.
The cultural potluck offered ninth-graders a unique way to connect both with their heritage and fellow students—and a chance to meet the author of the Family Style. For many ninth-graders, what might have been the favorite part of the event was, unsurprisingly, the food — and getting to share it with friends. “I got this lemongrass chicken with pasta, and we also got chips and candy. It’s pretty yummy,” Wong said.
