hearing about all the good things the committee accomplishes next year. William Law Head of Environment INTERNATIONAL & ROUND SQUARE 2022 has been an action-packed year in terms of internationalism and Round Square at College. Thanks to the support and enthusiasm of the senior and junior members of the Round Square committee, as well as students and staff across College, we can celebrate diversity and embrace differences within College. Our main aim for this year was to strengthen and empower international and Round Square IDEALS to expand them to our College community. Our committee had a significant impact by setting goals at the beginning of the year. These goals included: • Forming strong relationships and expanding our networks around New Zealand • Engagement with other cultural groups and religious groups in Christchurch • Celebrating diversity campaign • Creating strong relationships between international students and students all over Christchurch Regarding celebrating diversity within our community, towards the start of the year, the Round Square committee organised a Ramadan Awareness day where College students and staff gathered for the Suhoor – a pre-fasting breakfast – to mark the start of Ramadan. Ramadan marks a month of fasting, prayer and reflection within the Muslim community. This breakfast on Tuesday morning aimed to give boys and staff a chance to experience and interact with the diversity in our society. This event successfully celebrates diversity within our school by highlighting the similarities of Ramadan values to Christianity and society in general. Our committee was able to engage with other cultural groups within Christchurch by visiting the
Buddhist temple. On 5 July, the BLIA South Island director Kok-Wei led 11 members from the senior and junior committees around the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist temple in Christchurch. In the Buddha Hall, the students watched the video The Life of the Buddha , tried Tai Chi exercise and practised meditation. They also learned to greet others with lotus fingers. Kok-Wei also introduced the students to the concept of "Three Good Deeds and Four Givings" of Humanistic Buddhism and engaged the students in exchanging opinions on this topic. This was a unique experience for everyone involved. We are grateful to the Buddhist committee for opening its doors to us, particularly to director Kok-Wei, for providing us with his understanding of Buddhism and enlightening us with a deeper understanding of the temple. Embracing diversity within and beyond College is a goal that connects with our commitment to College virtues and Round Square IDEALS. This year we strengthened our relationships between international and domestic students and students all over Christchurch. Our year began with the annual dinner with St Margaret's College at Korea House, where international and domestic students from both schools could connect over delicious Korean food. During International Week, with the help of Matt Cortesi
stepping in as quizmaster, College hosted an international quiz, with over 90 students from five schools participating in a fun-filled evening. St Margaret's returned the favour by hosting another international quiz night in their dining hall, making some well-versed quizzers scratch their heads. These events effectively built solid relationships and broke down barriers between students to form friendships for our international students. Unmistakably, the focal point of the committee’s efforts this year was the International Week in Term 3. This year we started with the Languages’ Chapel Service. Firstly, students deliver prayers and readings in various languages that make up our school community. These languages include Japanese, Samoan, French, Arabic, Sinhalese, Te Reo, Mandarin and Spanish. Throughout the week, there was an array of events that encouraged the different ways we could celebrate diversity. In particular, the Dining Hall staff prepared a different international cuisine for the boarders every day of the week, which spiced the week up with international flavours. At Tuesday lunch, we had our annual interhouse karaoke competition. This event celebrated how the arts, including music, can often break down international and linguistic barriers. This year we had a new record of impressive performances from various Houses in languages
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Register 2022 Virtues
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