Michelle Ahn
November 20th, 2021
On September 27, the Global Issues Network (GIN) club hosted its second annual GIN Carnival to promote and build connections among twenty service organizations. Through fun activities, bake sales, and live performances, people were able to contribute to solving a global issue they are passionate about in a new engaging and entertaining way.
Despite the logistical and structural difficulties that came with the pilot GIN Carnival last year, this year’s GINspirational Carnival has since come a long way. Given the unpredictability of the event, the patchy organization and miscommunication with the fifteen organizations present seemed inevitable; yet the club was still able to push through and generate buzz within the community. Mehek Jain (12), GIN club leader, believed that the experience they gained from the previous year was the primary reason for the Carnival’s successes. “We had last year's experience under our belt to guide us through the planning process.” With many logistical details out of the way early on, their key focus shifted to the overall enjoyment of the audience.
Another aspect that greatly attributed to this year’s Carnival success was their ability to introduce newer organizations while still promoting long-existing organizations, successfully bringing a more energetic and lively vibe to the Carnival. Bridgette Boyle (10), leader of The Citizens Foundation (TCF) said, “The Carnival was a great opportunity for our club. The atmosphere really helped attract people, allowing us to promote our issue.” Other participants of the event also agreed that the generous amount of clubs allowed them to raise more awareness and money for their global issue.
In addition to the booths, this year’s Carnival showcased a variety of performances from Treble in Paradise (women's acapella), Hong Kong Dancers, independent singers, and many more. The entertainment was a great addition to the Carnival, uplifting spirits before the break, and creating a lively atmosphere.
Of course, no great events come without challenges. The GIN club members agreed that at first, it was difficult to get the clubs involved. Since the Carnival was held in the first semester this year, many clubs were underprepared, and it took sufficient planning to get clubs to sign up. There were also logistical details to consider, such as coordinating with the table tennis team for the table tennis tables and organizing the Smash tournament with the Games Club.
Balancing the planning between the Carnival and the GIN booth was also difficult for GIN club members. They had to come up with original, educational, and engaging ideas, adapting quickly as initial plans such as getting Sodexo’s smoothie bike failed. Mehek explained that between making decorations for the Carnival, hammering out logistical details, and planning a booth, “it’s fair to say this event would most definitely not have been possible without the dedication and passion of every GIN member.”
For future years, GIN hopes to engage in more activities and games in addition to bake sales, and reach out to other HKIS divisions. Through coupling with upper primary and middle school students, clubs will be able to raise more money while simultaneously educating the youth, and younger students would have a unique way to connect with high school students.
All things considered, this year’s second annual GIN Carnival was an undeniable success, and we hope to see what they can bring to next year’s Carnival.