Chinese New Year at Royal Russell School, Emma Hourihan, Royal Russell School
Royal Russell is an international boarding school which has many students who celebrate Chinese New Year. At Royal Russell every celebration is welcomed so that the boarders do not miss out on their experiences and get to learn new skills. Having so many students from so many places means that activities such as this help each student to understand a different tradition and cultural experience which otherwise they wouldn’t experience. Most of the boarding students are already close with their fellow boarders however, experiences like participating in a showcase of talent to celebrate the new year is sure to work as a bonding experience.
I was lucky enough to experience the Chinese New Year celebration as part of the media team. It was an incredible thing to watch and get to have a behind-the-scenes view on. However for the media team, it was a night full of difficulties! Within five minutes of filming our communications with our students in the studio were lost so we had to improvise and think on the spot. After some frantic hand gestures and worried expressions, we figured out a system to continue our filming. Although it was difficult, we managed to show the elegance and beauty of the talent being displayed at this showcase. There was a whole range of instruments I had never even heard of before such as a Guzheng, it had great atmosphere as everyone was encouraging one another. The night ended with fireworks over school and Chinese food in the boarding houses. It was a great night, for everyone who experienced it.
By Emma Hourihan
