By SARAH CRAWFORD and CAROLINE CORNISH
Editor: MICHELLE DANNER
For the last month, UPP students have been hard at work taking classes and becoming acclimated to Raleigh. On September 15th, all of that was briefly left behind as students celebrated the UPP version of the Chinese Mooncake Festival. UPP and Alexander Residence Hall staff transformed the dorm lounge from ordinary to extraordinary through elaborate and decorative red lanterns, festival lights and streamers. For the Mooncake Festival, our goal was to blend traditional Chinese and American cultural elements through food, music and games.
Upon arrival, every student was invited to enjoy a nice cup of hot tea and a portion of one of the four types of mooncake. Attendees had a difficult time choosing among Lotus, Red Bean, Chestnut and Taro mooncakes, though the Chestnut mooncakes did disappear the fastest! Tasting mooncakes was a welcome and familiar experience for the UPP students as well as a new and delicious one for many of the uninitiated Americans guests.
“I had never seen a mooncake before, so I assumed they’d be sugary and light, like a Twinkie,” Elizabeth Smith said, “The texture was a surprise but the flavor was amazing! I could eat them all day long!”
“I think it’s very good to eat mooncakes in America because I think it’s a very valuable experience in America,” Roy Jiacheng Wu said, “And I think it can remind me of my hometown.”
After getting a small but heavy slice of mooncake, students were encouraged to mingle among the diverse group of attendees. Whether you were a UPP student, staff member, American student learning Chinese, or international student, there were plenty of people to interact with in this intercultural exchange! Different stations were setup around the room to help facilitate discussion.
On the left half of the room, UPP interns led two groups in common American or Chinese card and board games. The most popular of these games turned out to be Uno and Mahjong, which were played almost non-stop throughout the event. The simplicity of learning and playing a game opened many doors for conversation, skipping the awkward phase of small talk that so many people dread.
“I thought Uno was a great way to introduce American and Chinese students to each other. I helped instruct the game but as things progressed, the American students helped to further explain the game. It was a great way to get both sides to open up and learn more about one another,” said Jenna Kane, a New Mind intern.
Additionally it gave the UPP students a chance to share something that is so much a part of Chinese culture. “I was really proud of myself to advertise Chinese traditions in USA.” said Haofeng ‘Keanu’ Lin.
On the right half of the room, NCSU students were invited to try their hand at traditional Chinese calligraphy with the aid of UPP students and some Americans who were already experienced in the art. The station supplied the guests with a sheet of common phrases to be used as a guide. Many non-UPP students were eager to learn how to write their own names in Chinese.
“I think it’s very cool because people from different countries gathered together and learned how to write Chinese characters,” Xinyang Li said, “They did a good job. I can’t even write better than them.”
With more than seventy people in attendance, the Mooncake Festival was a well-attended and thoroughly-enjoyed celebration for both the Chinese and non-Chinese guests that attended.
“I was so glad that I got to attend the Mooncake Festival because it was a chance to actually experience what I learned about in my Chinese class,” said Maggie Zargo. “Seeing the Chinese students so excited to teach me how to do calligraphy, play Mahjong, and tell me about their favorite mooncake flavors… I could tell the celebration was very special to them and I loved being a part of it.”
The glowing praise was shared by our own students as well. “I liked the event very much because I learned some interesting American games there. And also it was fun to see how local people learn about our traditions,” Jacob Yukuan Li said.
