Sunday, March 18, 2012

Denver Celebrates St. Patrick's Day!


Denver Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day!
By Kimberly Morische
            We have now been in the Mile High City for almost three full months, and our cultural experiences have widened in terms of theater, art, sports, food, and even public transportation.  We have experienced that vast interests of the city’s many inhabitants.  However, during a bright Saturday morning on March 17th, the city came together for one celebration – St. Patrick’s Day.  Nelson and Bonita notified our group in advance that a parade would take place going down Blake and 17th streets, and many of us attended it. 
            I watched the parade with some other Wartburg West students, and it was so much fun to see the energy that was present.  Hundreds of people crowded along the sidewalks, wore green clothing, and cheered as various groups of people proudly sported their Irish heritage in the parade.  My favorite group was a studio of young Irish performers.  We eagerly tried to look over the heads of the many people standing in front of us, wishing for a glimpse of the group of female dancers.  Donned in red-haired wigs and green sparkly dresses, I saw the group dance to a jig as the bagpipers and drummers behind it played with all the bravo they could muster.
            After the parade, people quickly flooded the downtown area surrounding 16th street in hopes of getting a seat in an Irish pub.  We walked as fast as we could to the Tilted Kilt, a very popular restaurant, but unfortunately a line outside the door covered nearly a third of the block.  We did make it to another restaurant called Katie Mullen’s.  They had a festive green tent sent up outside and a Irish band playing onstage.  Spending St. Patrick’s Day in Denver was a wonderful experience that both allowed me to celebrate my small bit of Irish heritage as well as the culture of the city.
            I have very much enjoyed my time spent in Denver.  I am student-teaching in both Spanish and English classrooms.  My first placement was teaching Spanish at Abraham Lincoln High School, and I am now teaching English at Scott Carpenter Middle School.  I love how language is viewed as a precious source of knowledge here in the city.  Because there are so many cultures, nationalities, and languages represented here, I have enjoyed teaching both Spanish and English.  I can see that, overall, my students understand the power of language in society.

Best wishes,
Kimberly Morische

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