The cafeteria buzzed with music and color last Friday as students and adults gathered for the Middle School Culture Fair after school. The event has taken place over the last few years and this year’s was nothing short of magical, as students proudly shared pieces of their backgrounds and explored the traditions of others through hands-on experiences.
Nearly a dozen stalls were set up, each showcasing a different aspect of culture through music, art, food or traditional games. Every stall displayed a colorful poster and was crowded with students interacting, as the middle school social took place at the same time.
Upper school Chinese teacher Tian Wang was one of the many who hosted a stall. Her stall offered an interactive experience that showcased various aspects of Chinese culture. “I had a lot of ideas [for the stall], but because Lunar New Year is approaching, it has a focus on New Year’s Celebrations,” she said.
The stall’s poster featured a dragon on it, symbolizing power, strength and good fortune for the upcoming year. The red-clothed table also had a list of zodiac signs, Chinese games and traditional Chinese snacks.
Alongside Wang’s stall, there were ones celebrating the culture of South Korea, Cambodia and even a Backgammon stall. At each stall, students could interact by tasting food or learning new games.
Ninth-grader Sydney King also hosted a country stall. She ran an Australia stall, showcasing various aspects of its culture. “[My stall] has traditional Australian food like candy Cherry Ripes that my whole family loves,” she said. “I am also talking about some of the animals and nature in Australia, like kangaroos.”
A Cherry Ripe is an iconic Australian chocolate bar made in 1924. The bar consists of a combination of cherry and coconut pieces dipped in chocolate. The taste is often slightly bitter and tart from the fruits, but it is also sweet like a typical chocolate bar.
Bringing the Culture Fair to life required months of careful planning and collaboration. The event has occurred only in recent years, after the pandemic. MS/US Intercultural Life Chair Naureen Qadri has been involved in the preparation since the start of the event itself. “We started planning in November 2019, but then COVID hit. So 2020 didn’t happen. When we finally had it again in April 2022, it was wonderful and it was the first time the entire community got together after COVID,” she said.
The event used to happen exclusively at the lower school during Family Discovery Night, but has recently shifted to becoming an annual tradition in the middle school.
Qadri is appreciative of how well the event went and is amazed that students of all backgrounds can showcase their cultures to their peers. “It just brings a lot of joy to the community and especially the minorities … they come to school the next day and they have a connecting point, they can talk about the tradition,” she said.
This year’s Middle School Culture Fair was a massive success and the organizers believe there will be many more to come.
