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.

Pirate Versus Warship Captain?

If I could choose between being the captain of a pirate ship, or the commander of a warship, I would unhesitatingly choose the buccaneer route. In comparing the two lifestyles, being a pirate is much more appealing. First, you are autonomous; making up the rules as you go, versus being one name in a long chain of military hierarchy. Second, it is much more profitable, though your income is certainly not consistent. Third, the uniforms are far superior. Swashbuckling chic is much more my style than Dress Blues. There is more creativity, less formality, and encouragement for superfluous piercings and tattoos. On reflection, I realised that the relaxed, adventurous life style of a pirate suits my nature much more than that of the rigid military seamen.

What would I want to be doing in 10 years?

Questions like "What do I want to be doing in 10 years" are definitely provocative. Especially when you are forced to go beyond the practical and merely dream. When education and money are out of the way, you are left with the heart of what you want. The funny thing is, what I dream about doing and what I practically intend to do, are exactly the same thing. My whole life I have been fascinated by medicine. The idea of taking away someone's pain, providing healing, always seemed almost miraculous. When I was little and would think about what I wanted to be when I reached that elusive thing called adulthood, I liked to imagine myself as a doctor labouring in lands where no other help exists. The adventure of it thrilled me. And surprisingly, that particular dream never died.

As I have gotten older, I realised that I was created to help people. My heart is directed toward them and I desperately want to heal whatever is hurting them. I have always felt passionate about countries where people die every day because they cannot have that kind of help. We keep it from them, without excuse. Maybe this is my way of apologising to those people on behalf of the rest of the Western world. Somehow, I want to right the wrong and introduce some justice into this fallen universe.

My actual plan is to major in nursing and probably get a masters degree. Then I will wait and see which doors open. I believe that God has called me to minister to people by healing their bodies before I offer balm to their souls. And I know that the God who created me for this purpose will be faithful and lay out the way for me to carry out His plan.