Strange notes, foreign sights, and unfamiliar aromas filled the Nichols Atrium as the Multicultural Fair kicked off. Global Empowerment and Outreach (GEO) held their annual event during long lunch today.

Ten booths were set up, including major countries like Britain and China as well as less represented countries in our student body such as Lebanon and Iraq. Most booths were manned by students or faculty of that specific ethnic group, eager to display and share their culture with peers.

Students and faculty drifted from booth to booth sipping English tea, examining Middle Eastern scarfs, tasting authentic Korean dishes, or even getting their wrists painted with Mehndi.

“We really want to introduce [students] to the many cultures that are represented at the school which they may not know much about,” GEO treasurer Maya Madhavan (12) said. “There are a lot of different aspects to each one, and it’s nice to get to know a little bit about your peers’ backgrounds.”

Favorite parts of the fair included Chinese New Years candies, Korean sushi, Indian painting, and Roman bread.

Due to the school’s relatively small size, it may not be as diverse as others, with many cultural groups being underrepresented. This fair gives all ethnic groups, large or small, the opportunity to share their culture alongside fellow students and faculty.

“There aren’t that many Koreans in this school and like the food’s really good so I thought it be good to share with the rest of the community.” Kevin Kim (10) said.

Alex Mo (9) believes that the Silicon Valley in general is less diversified, without many people displaying their ethnic backgrounds.

“Living in the Valley, we don’t really see that many different cultures, so I think this fair really allowed us to experience new things.” he said.

For their next event, GEO will team up with student council to host Hoscars tomorrow, a student auditioned talent show.