As the students of the Masters school anxiously packed their bags and rushed off to begin their long Presidents’ Day weekends, others were decking the streets with lanterns, origami, and paintings 7,120 miles away. The Chinese New Year indicates the second new moon since the winter solstice and calls for colorful, joyful, festivities. Last Tuesday, February 13th, the Dragon Club organized an event in the Fonseca Center Sharon Room, inviting all students and faculty to celebrate the New Year and immerse themselves in Chinese Culture.

Dragon Club represents one of the four language clubs at Masters, led by Jenna Bosshart ‘19, Ava Anuszkiewicz ‘19, and Ileya DuBoulay ‘19. All three presidents are Mandarin students and have each developed a passion for the Chinese language and Chinese culture during their time at Masters. However, the club is not only meant for studying speakers–“It’s a really inclusive club,” Bosshart said, “We definitely encourage people to come out, not just Mandarin speakers or Mandarin students.”

Faculty advisor Joy Yuan describes the club as “a place for students to come together and celebrate Chinese culture.” She specifically referred to people all across the Masters community (even those younger or older than high school age), and people who may live in China who may be looking for a little extra taste of home.

Yuan describes the events of last Tuesday’s Chinese New Year celebration. She noted that while past celebrations have been more performance-based, this year the club leadership worked together to create a more interactive experience for all who attended. The celebration was divided into various activities, including tea tasting, board games, and calligraphy. Traditional Chinese music was played throughout the event, and the guests feasted on Chinese dumplings.

Needless to say, the Dragon Club Chinese New Celebration was a success. The club leadership is already planning events for the near future–“They’re trying to do one event each month,” Yuan said; she mentioned movie nights and game nights as possibilities. She added that the club is planning on holding another event in May, similar to the one held last Tuesday, to celebrate and learn about Chinese culture. Stay tuned for emails from the Dragon Club leadership about upcoming opportunities to engage in Chinese culture!