CHENNAI: Kamarajar Arangam was bursting at the seams on Tuesday, with more that 6,000 uniformed students. There was little doubt that ‘Wiz Kids’ is one of more popular events in the school circuit. Fresh off the event’s Bengaluru counterpart, Chennai is the second among 17 cities nation-wide, on the list for two-day marathon competitions spread across oratory skills and IQ, arts and crafts, musical theatre and even a fancy dress showcase of talent. “I think students in Chennai are much closer to their roots compared to other cities. Here, when kids pick up a mic, nobody is shy to speak in Tamil, but in Bengalru, Kannada is never a first choice,” said Sultan Ahmed, Managing Director of Edumedia. The biggest event on the schedule is the selection of a two-member Wiz team from each city. Sultan explains,“Each school nominates two kids and then there is an interview to shortlist the brightest. This is followed by various rounds, such as a group discussion, talent and versatility rounds and so on.” This year, keeping in tune with the hype around Facebook, there was also a ‘campaign round’ for these tween thinkers to garner virtual votes, apart from those on the spot at the auditorium. The winning team, at the end of the South Asia finals in November is promised scholarships worth `4 lakh and a trip to Geneva, courtesy the United Nations.With 30 different events to choose from, open to students from Class 1 to 12, it seems there is an opportunity for almost every kind of talent to be showcased, be it on or off stage. “The reason we have so many different kinds of contests, both on stage and off is not to push kids to win,” Sultan points out.“Actually, what I’ve realised over the years interacting with the academic fraternity in schools is that the one thing that boosts a child’s confidence is their participation.”
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