Biased verus Unbiased: The Fall Festival

Biased:

On October 24th the Junior and Senior classes of I-- ran the school's first Fall Festival, this year's take on the Spring Carnival. The usual booths were present such as face painting, the pie throw, corn holes and a dunking tank. However they tried to make the atmosphere feel more interesting and like a harvest or Halloween carnival by renaming hackneyed activities and strewing a few Fall decorations around the school grounds.

Carnival-goers had varying reactions to the change in tradition, some complaining that the most attractive parts of the carnival were missing this year.

"My favorite parts were the mural and the Pinewood Derby race," said one I-- youngster. "And those two things were not there this year. It just wasn't as fun."

Due to the chaotic last minute planning of some of the aspects of the festival, a few of the booths were disorganised and unhelpful to Festival attendees.

"The concession stand was crazy!" said high school student Greg P--. "I had to plough through mobs of people to get to the counter, and then they had run out of what I wanted. I suggest they come up with a better system for next year."

While originality is encouraged in I-- students and creativity is always welcomed, the Fall Festival clearly shows that intense planning and prep work are vital. Maybe next year's Carnival organisers will be more willing to adhere to tradition.

Unbiased:

On October 24th the Upperclassmen of I-- hosted their first Fall Festival. Usually, I-- has a Carnival in the Second Semester, but past organisers have found that the Spring is usually overbooked with other end-of-the-year activities, so this year's students chose to move it to the Fall. Taking advantage of the time of year, they chose an Autumn or Harvest theme, modeling it after Fall Festivals commonly seen in the USA.
The Juniors and Seniors worked together to take cliched Carnival activities and make them fit the theme, thereby making them more appealing to the other students. One example is the new twist on the pie throw, where a Festival goer can use pumpkin pulp instead of whipped cream for an extra carnival ticket. They worked hard to decorate the school grounds and the booths, using a pumpkin motif throughout. They also added a costume contest, which delighted children and adults alike.

"My daughter loved creating her costume and dressing up with all her friends!" one I-- mother gushed. "I think it should be a part of every Carnival from now on."

There were a few hiccups, including slight disorganisation involving the concession stand, and a few people missed past components of the Carnival, such as the mural and the Pinewood Derby race. However most attendees just gave high praise for the originality and hard work of the Juniors and Seniors. A lot of fun was had, and many people hope that this year marks the beginning of a new I-- tradition.