VOLUME 16, ISSUE 8
JUNE 2022
MLWGS Holds Successful International Language Fair
By Izzy List and Prisha Shah
Photo: Peize Wang / The Bhangra Club performs at the International Language Fair.Maggie Walker’s fourteenth International Language Fair was held on March 19 of this year and commenced with the representation of ten languages through fun activities, foods, and various performances. Directed at dozens of middle schoolers from around Virginia, the fair aimed to enable the students to explore all of the cultural endeavors Maggie Walker has to offer. As many other high schools in the area only offer around three languages compared to the ten of Maggie Walker, the International Language Fair gives students the opportunity to explore some unique languages and the cultures surrounding them through a variety of entertaining activities.
The fair kicked off in the auditorium as the middle schoolers, volunteers, and organizers were able to enjoy the Bhangra team’s performance and Josh Warner’s (‘22) multilingual singing. The middle schoolers then reported to their first workshop of three, in which each student would participate in cultural activities that enabled them to discover various aspects of the languages offered at MLWGS, hopefully sparking their interest in the languages’ cultures, as well as the school.
The workshops were largely developed and organized by Maggie Walker student volunteers, who were “superstars” and “all engaging, excited, and prepared,” according to one of the fair organizers, Alexis Bartee (’22). The workshops included a variety of activities, such as French pointillism, Chinese lettering and lantern making, and Russian bingo. The middle school students also created crafts, such as small Louvres in the French Architecture workshop or Chinese paper dragons, along with a host of other equally exciting activities. All of the workshops turned out to be great successes and according to Bartee, the middle schoolers left each one “chatting about their favorite activities.”
One of the crowd-favorite events of the fair was the end of the day lunch which incorporated foods inspired by countries from around the world. An aim of this years’ fair was to ensure that the lunches reflected the cultures of the languages offered, and that decision was a sure success. The lunch included French cookies, Japanese fruit sandwiches, Arabic fatayers, and German meat dishes, all of which were a huge hit with both the middle schoolers and volunteers.
Students who participated in the workshops recounted their positive experiences after the fair, mentioning that they look forward to volunteering next year as well. A student who worked at the Chinese lantern-making workshop, Marshall Winneberger (‘24), explained how well the sessions went and how the kids were engaged during the presentations and enjoyed the cultural activities. He does, however, mention that groups often lacked sufficient time, and many students left sessions with “half-done crafts.” Despite this, Winneberger hopes to participate again in 2023, as he especially appreciated the warm environment of the fair and the opportunity to learn about each culture.
All in all, the fair was a success and left smiles on the faces of all involved. Middle schoolers were able to immerse themselves in the cultures of unfamiliar languages and delight in their tasty foods. The fair also strengthened relationships and, according to Bartee, gave the middle schoolers the “opportunity to learn amazing lessons from students close to their age who they can relate to and connect with.” The visiting students left the fair with positive reactions and their hand-made souvenirs, and many even mentioned that they awaited the opportunity to apply to Maggie Walker in the upcoming years for the ability to take their desired languages on a daily basis. Overall, the International Language Fair was a huge success and, as described by Bartee, “absolutely fantastic!”
Photo: Peize Wang / Emma Burris leads a language workshop.