On January 19, 2023, Highland Park High School’s Asian Culture Club hosted a Lunar New Year Event. The evening was full of lively performances, tasty food, and entertaining activities. Here’s what an event coordinator, a master of ceremonies (MC), and the club advisor had to say about the event.
Event Coordinator:
Varshini: Amy, how do you think the event turned out, and what was it like to prepare for this event?
Amy Yang: We had a wonderful turnout for the event. I heard a lot of people saying how much they loved the performance and the celebration, and I’m just super happy that I was able to be a part of an event that brought so much joy and overall togetherness in our community…We started organizing early October and I was the only underclassmen that was an event coordinator. It was intimidating at first. The upperclassmen really knew what they were doing, and I feel like when we do this next year, I know exactly what needs to be done after seeing them do it this year.
Varshini: What are ACC’s plans for upcoming events and what would you like to implement into these events?
Amy Yang: We are planning an AAPI event at the library in May, and I encourage everyone to come. We will be planning lots of activities to learn about Asian culture in a fun way. ACC is actually organizing a field trip for club members to go to Chinatown in New York City where we are going to art museums to see Asian art. Next year I would like to incorporate more Asian cultures in our events like this year’s Diwali event.
Performer/MC:
Varshini: Lena, what was it like to perform the Lion Dance for a full auditorium this year? And how long did you guys take to rehearse?
Lena Holt: We have been practicing once a week, sometimes twice a week since around December 20th. It was really fun, and I’m glad I got to do it since it’s something I really enjoy doing. I did it last year, and I did it freshman year. Freshman year was the first time they ever did the Lion Dance in this school, so it’s really cool to continue my legacy.
ACC Advisor:
Varshini: Mrs. Yang, what are your comments on the turn out of our school’s Lunar New Year Event, and how was it to work with the event coordinators?
Mrs. Yang: I wanted to especially point out two special people that did a tremendous amount of work to organize this whole thing. Christina and Michelle Li. They had been working nonstop since actually December on. So, you saw the show, and it was a tremendous success. And we appreciate that the community came out to support the club. Another person we wanted to commend was Ms. Philippe. She and her class basically organized all the activities in the cafeteria. She is the brainchild behind all of the activities, and she contributed tons of her time and also her games from her house and purchased many items and was willing to let us borrow them to showcase what Chinese culture is really all about.