Graphic courtesy of Abby Lu
With the Lunar New Year fast approaching, Choate’s Chinese Club has once again started preparing for celebrations. Since many Choate students take part in the holiday, the club will be hosting a banquet in the Student Activities Center on Friday, January 24. In addition, the Chinese Club will be selling stickers and folders printed with a unique design incorporating both traditional and modern aspects of Chinese art. The folders will be useful for students to organize their papers, and the stickers are simply for aesthetic purposes.
Chinese art is the theme of this year’s products. Last year, the club sold minimalistic white phone cases with the Choate shield below the words 中国会 (Chinese Club). However, stickers and folders seemed to be a more accessible option for this year. While phone cases must be customized to fit different sized phone models, folders and stickers are usable for everyone without needing any variations. Mass producing items that don’t need to customized will make the fundraising process easier for the club as well.
In the past, Chinese Club sales have been successful, and that trend is predicted to continue this year. Club President Jayden Khuu ’21 said, “We are forecasting to sell around 150 folders and 100 stickers.”
Folders will cost $4, and stickers will sell for $3. Khuu explained that the cabinet members “emphasize using the money back on the club.” Last year’s money from the phone cases financed higher quality food for the Lunar Banquet, and the club hopes to cycle profits back into the banquet budget again this year.
Like a lot of traditional Chinese art, the theme of the design is nature. Chinese Club Vice President Abby Lu ’22 said, “The design of the stickers and folders is traditional Chinese art with a twist.” The image of mountains, waterfalls, and red sun represents traditional Chinese painting; however, the more vibrant colors add a modern touch. Lu explained that she feels that this style is underrepresented, so she hopes to bring more of it to the the Choate community. “[Lu] was able to showcase her technique and interpretation of this art form,” Khuu said. Nature is the overall theme of the design.
The club has been planning the logistics for the Lunar Banquet since September, such as figuring out the date and deciding the amount of food that must be ordered based on last year’s number of attendees. The banquet, catered by the Formosa Asian Fusion Restaurant in North Haven, will serve a wide variety of traditional Chinese food including dumplings, spicy chicken, glazed lion’s head meatballs, mapo tofu, wok-fried string beans, and matcha ice cream. “A large part of Chinese culture is eating as a community,” Lu explained.
In addition to abundant culinary offerings, the banquet will also feature student performances, such as Joy An ’23 with a piece on dizi (笛子), a traditional Chinese flute.
Khuu is grateful for the community and his fellow club members who have made the event and sale a reality: “Thanks has to be given to Ms. Alexandra Long and Dr. Chen-Lin who have worked meticulously and tirelessly to make all of this possible. I also have to thank May Zhao [’21], Andrew Mi [’20], Lu, and Deanna Tan [’20] for putting in the effort with me.”
Lunar New Year is the most important day of celebration in Chinese culture, and the festivities coordinated by Chinese Club will be a joyous experience open to all students. Although students who celebrate are often away from their families during this holiday, the Lunar Banquet provides a space for the Choate community to celebrate together.
