Uni High's third annual Cultural Fair is less than a week away. The Oct. 3 event promises to be spectacular, but organizers need your help to make it as good as it can be. To do our part, the Online Gargoyle is hosting a "Countdown to Cultural Fair '08," a daily update by the event's organizers. They'll let you know what they need, how things are going, and what you can look forward to. Our Monday update comes from one of the parent organizers, Jennifer Hamer, associate professor and interim head, Department of African American Studies, University of Illinois.

URBANA — Already, students are getting excited about the approaching Cultural Fair. There are currently more than 20 booths organized by Uni students, parents, faculty, and friends but there is still time to create your own booth if your culture isn't represented!

Below is a current list of the booths scheduled to be at this year's Cultural Fair. If you would like to add one, contact student Rachel Harmon (harmon-at-uni.illinois.edu) or parent Jennifer Hamer (jhamer-at-illinois.edu), prepare a dish, and bring any items representational of your culture to the fair!

Cultural/Food Booths

• Jewish
• French
• Native American
• Spanish
• Japanese
• Taiwanese
• African American
• Hungarian
• Greek
• German
• Italian/Ukrainian
• Indian
• Egyptian
• Ethiopian

Informational Booths (some with food)

• Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies at Illinois
• Center for African Studies at Illinois
• Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Illinois
• European Union Center at Illinois
• American Deaf Culture and Sign Language
• Geography
• Book and Author: "Race: A History Beyond Black and White" by Marc Aronson