By Nidhi Vasani
Our global community is a combination of so many authentic cultures. We all love to travel and explore the diversity our world holds. For students at The Woodlands Secondary School though, travelling is not the only way to discover these wonders. The International Bazaar is a trademark event at The Woodlands Secondary School, where students and staff members alike can showcase their own backgrounds, and embrace those of others as well. The 2019 event took place in late April, and with the representation of over 15 countries and efforts made by both staff and students, it was definitely more memorable than ever.
When the bell rang for the beginning of lunch on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2019, the doors to the gym were opened. The line of people trying to get in stretched through the halls of the music bay and the whole gym was immediately filled with students, many of which were wearing ethnic outfits and celebrating their culture or nationality. As always, the event was flooded with bright colours and amazing smells, creating an experience unlike any other. Those who bought a ticket filled their plates with delicacies from all across the world, later heading down to the Cafeteria to watch some exceptional performances.
The International Bazaar executive team worked hard with many other people behind the scenes, in order to ensure the event runs smoothly. Booth leaders recruited groups of students and staff sponsors to take up a variety of responsibilities leading up to the day of the event. This included cooking food, decorating the booths and serving visitors from the country’s station in the gym. Meanwhile, performance preparations and auditions began as early as the March break and were followed by weekly rehearsals to ensure that each act was perfected.
As posters for the program started going up on the walls, the International Bazaar became something that was greatly anticipated by the whole school. In fact, though ticket sales only started a week prior to the event, at least 100 tickets were sold before the day of the event. In addition, the International Bazaar team also worked towards making some positive changes this time around. One of the major goals was to reduce the waste that would accumulate during the event. Through the various mediums of promotion, students were encouraged to bring in their own reusable containers for food. This year, students and staff decided to make this already incredible event, even better.
Ultimately, the International Bazaar was a massive success, with approximately $1500 raised for charity. The Woodlands student body collectively chose the Rohingya Crisis as the destination for all of the proceeds. Not only is the International Bazaar an important experience for newcomers to the school, giving them a glimpse of its cultural diversity and openness; it is also an effective means of raising money for a cause we are passionate about.
Comments