College Fair or College Fun? Both matter just as much.

By Aidan Lai and Ryan Ng

Everywhere a vibrant, active atmosphere. A palpable sense of excitement, fun, and community. A friendly environment for students and parents alike. Family Fun Day, formerly College Fair, received a breath of fresh air after its rebranding towards a more positive and inclusive environment.

Taking place on December 5th, 2021, RCHK’s 15th anniversary Family Fun Day was a sight to behold. In this playground of new ideas and creativity, a diverse cast of attendees and activities ensured that everyone had fun.

After a two-year hiatus (events were previously cancelled due to social unrest and COVID-19), we saw some familiar faces return to the field. Notably, Teacher’s Revenge — an all-time classic where students get to exact much-needed vengeance on their teachers through wet target practice — returned alongside the other activities that characterised the event we all knew and loved.

Compared to previous college fairs, this one gave the spotlight to students, allowing for greater student involvement at all levels. From manning the gates and assisting in stalls all the way to MC-ing for the various performances by the talented school community, it was a great new experience for everyone involved.

“It was very fun MC-ing on that stage,” says Charlie Leung, an MC at the event. “It helped me build confidence in myself and my speaking skills, something I’ve aspired to get better at. Although this college fair didn't have a lot of people and was organized differently, I feel that everyone still had a good time.”

Amongst the diverse crowd of stalls and activities, there was one that stood out for its particular quality. The RCHK scouts decided after a long period of planning that they would take up the challenge of teaching the basics of scouting to a younger audience. From sophisticated catapults to ingenuitive setups of tents and cooksets, the scouts spared no expense in ensuring the quality of the process. Displaying their passion and industrious attitude, their introductory activities were highly successful.

Aspen Kwan, a scout participating in the event, enthused: “Being a scout is one of the things I’ll always treasure. It’s inclined me to learn new sets of skills and techniques when coming to tying knots to [set] up tents. It’s also taught me major life skills when dealing with different issues. Scouting is something I’ll never forget.”

Alongside the scouts were the enchanting displays of dancing prowess. One act caught the eyes of many, attracting a population of stunned and amazed viewers. “The performance was a new experience for someone like me,” one viewer said. “I’m used to more normative performances—this alone made this year’s College Fair more memorable than previous ones. Not many things usually interest me, so I think it’s fair to say that this dance act was one of a kind.”

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. The coronavirus, our now familiar companion, mandated the downsizing of this event. Once a grand entourage of all types of stalls containing multiple vendors, activities, and outside stories, Family Fun Day diminished into exclusively student-run events, the entire fair being split into three different sessions and participants each session maxed out at 300. A chaotic landscape caused many stalls to run out of supplies midway through the day, even having to stop operation from a lack of equipment. In one case, a student found that their reserved space and their gathered equipment for their heavily planned event were taken—their hard work gone in a flash.

“I had my stall space and equipment taken,” they said. “Therefore, I was unable to lead the activity that I wanted to lead in the college fair. I’m quite disappointed, but luckily was able to find something else to do for the day. I do wish that there could have been better communication between the parties involved, in order for this situation to be avoided.”

Some performers also found themselves disappointed by the downscaling of the fair. Talented musicians in the PAC were especially let down by the lack of an audience. “It felt that our practice and effort was put in vain as not many people came to watch what we spent countless hours preparing for,” one musician said. “I was excited for the day, but looking back I don’t know what I was so thrilled for.”

In the end, Family Fun Day was something new for everyone. The downsizing of the event may have caused chaos and bad experiences for some, but it also gave more students an opportunity to test new waters and take new risks. This tumultuous time has made many realize what truly characterized the event was not the fancy stalls or complicated courses that previously dominated College Fair: instead, it was the memories they made along the way that truly mattered.