MELP Celebrates the Fourth of July

Blog Post by Husam Al Shukaili

July 20, 2016

During summer sessions, Minnesota English Language Program (MELP) students visit different places in the Twin Cities for a cultural experience. The following blog post was written by Husam Al Shukaili about his experience at Independence Day parade and celebration with fellow students and faculty.

Parades and Celebration

The Fourth of July is a special day for America. All the streets were filled with people celebrating, from the early morning hours until afternoon and evening. I was really excited to see the happiness on Americans' faces.

Tshirts — MELP students receive Independence Day t-shirts.

At 9:30 a.m. on the morning on the Fourth, MELP instructors and students gathered in front of Nicholson Hall. We took the bus to get to the Como neighborhood in St. Paul, where we would watch an Independence Day parade. When we got to the bus stop, the instructors told us we'd receive American flags and t-shirts. A nice woman was handing out the flags: she gave each of us students a flag to wave. We were also handed a free shirt with stars and stripes on it.

Everyone on the street was carrying or wearing something patriotic, showing how happy they were for Independence Day. People were sitting with their friends or families on the sidewalks and curbs of Como Avenue as they waited for the parade to start.

The parade started at 11 a.m. with military marching through, followed by important people who work for the state's government. Other dancing and music passed along in the parade, too. After the parade finished, we headed to Langford Park. There, Michael Anderson, the Director of the Minnesota English Language Program, was grilling hot dogs in the park for the students. Other instructors were preparing food. Some students ate the hot dogs, while others ate different kinds of food. We formed a circle and played games until 3 p.m. Then we packed everything up and went home. By the end, I was very happy that I saw the parade and learned how important this day is to America. It was a wonderful experience that I would like to repeat next year.