One of the lesser-known events of the WSC, the Cultural Fair is often neglected attention because it only occurs during Global Rounds and ToC, but in reality it is one of those events that truly shows how unique a program the WSC is. It encourages the connection of international students and shows everyone attending a round the diversity of cultures present in the WSC. From East to West and North to South, the Cultural Fair brings the best of each country and puts it on display for everyone to appreciate!
Important Terms:
Tables: At most rounds, the Cultural Fair will consist of dozens of tables with different countries on each table. The general rule is that the larger the delegation that country brings, the more tables that country will have. So for example, countries that bring hundreds of scholars (such as Japan, India or Vietnam) will likely have 3,4 maybe even 5 tables present at the scholars fair.
Handouts: It is a rule of thumb at the cultural fair that countries are not allowed to sell their stuff, but they are however allowed to freely hand out goodies or souvenirs for scholars to keep. Some countries choose to hand out food from their native cuisine, others give out clothing and utilities that scholars can use in their lives. Don’t go to the cultural fair just for the handouts though (as tasty as those Japanese sweets can be), consider them a bonus for soaking in the diversity of cultures present at this single competition.
Displays: All countries will probably have a few pictures tacked up onto the bulletin board behind their tables. Usually these pictures, texts or other media explain their country and highlight the culture there. Take some time to ask them about it and soak in the knowledge.
Activities: Bigger delegations will often coordinate their own mini-activities or performances during the Cultural Fair. I’ve seen Indian scholars take to the centre in order to perform a Bollywood dance, I’ve seen traditional games being played at several countries, dances and even impromptu song performances. Take the time to appreciate or even participate in these activities, after all they are there to enhance the cultural immersion.
Cultural Fair Procedure:
Important Terms:
Tables: At most rounds, the Cultural Fair will consist of dozens of tables with different countries on each table. The general rule is that the larger the delegation that country brings, the more tables that country will have. So for example, countries that bring hundreds of scholars (such as Japan, India or Vietnam) will likely have 3,4 maybe even 5 tables present at the scholars fair.
Handouts: It is a rule of thumb at the cultural fair that countries are not allowed to sell their stuff, but they are however allowed to freely hand out goodies or souvenirs for scholars to keep. Some countries choose to hand out food from their native cuisine, others give out clothing and utilities that scholars can use in their lives. Don’t go to the cultural fair just for the handouts though (as tasty as those Japanese sweets can be), consider them a bonus for soaking in the diversity of cultures present at this single competition.
Displays: All countries will probably have a few pictures tacked up onto the bulletin board behind their tables. Usually these pictures, texts or other media explain their country and highlight the culture there. Take some time to ask them about it and soak in the knowledge.
Activities: Bigger delegations will often coordinate their own mini-activities or performances during the Cultural Fair. I’ve seen Indian scholars take to the centre in order to perform a Bollywood dance, I’ve seen traditional games being played at several countries, dances and even impromptu song performances. Take the time to appreciate or even participate in these activities, after all they are there to enhance the cultural immersion.
Cultural Fair Procedure:
- Sign-ups: Oftentimes a single country will consist of many different schools that want to set up their booths at the fair. Sometimes these efforts will be coordinated regionally, other times each country booth is just a different school showing similar things. Whatever the case, these countries usually sign up a few weeks before the round in order to get their stuff ready for the big day (or evening).
- Setting-up booths: The Cultural Fair usually occurs on the third day of the senior division (fourth day for the juniors and skittles) so that everyone can see the wonders of each nation. Usually 1-2 hours before the event, country groups will begin bringing their setups from their hotel rooms and actually get it ready for the fair.
- Fair commences: Once dinner is done and every country is ready, the doors the cultural fair swing open. Scholars are free to simply wander around the area, stopping at booths as they do so; or they can make a beeline for the countries they’re most interested in seeing. A typical visit to the cultural fair can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on how many times you stop and for how long you stop.
- Clean up: At about 10:30 PM, the fair officially ends and all scholars who aren’t involved in a country group must return to their accomodation. Meanwhile the country groups will spend this time cleaning up and remarking about the night’s events. The Cultural Fair officially ends, and each attending scholar has a few new memories (or goodies) to help preserve their time at the round.