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CSA brings Chinese culture to Stevens with Mid-Autumn Festival

The Chinese Students Association (CSA) celebrated a Chinese tradition last Wednesday by putting on a Mid-Autumn Festival in Jacobus Lounge. The event had many Chinese foods either freely available or being sold, a pool with fish that students could take back to their dorms, and Chinese decorations festooned along the walls. Many CSA members were present, either working the event by serving the food, taking care of one of the tables, or just enjoying the event.

Some people would think of the Mid-Autumn festival as “Chinese Thanksgiving” but that is a simplistic and half-true definition of the event. The Mid-Autumn festival began as a ceremony in ancient China. Chinese workers realized that the harvest was better when the moon was full and created a new tradition to celebrate a good harvest and worship the moon for making the harvest better. While the Thanksgiving celebrated in America is based on being grateful for one’s family and home, a Mid-Autumn festival revolves mainly around being grateful for a good harvest. CSA president Caroleen Chen explains, “During this holiday, families get together and feast on food and mooncakes. This is a very large and important holiday for the Chinese.” While the festival in China took place on September 6 this year, it was too early in the semester at Stevens for an event that big, so the CSA pushed it back to the 24.”

Even though this is primarily a Chinese festival, students of many different cultures were welcomed into Jacobus Lounge while the festival was happening, perhaps drawn by the promise of bubble tea and free food. Jacobus Lounge was full within minutes of the event opening, and some students had trouble finding a place to sit and eat their food. The food, which included mooncakes, egg tarts, pork buns, dumpling, Hong Kong pancakes, fried wontons, spring rolls, and a variety of crackers, was almost entirely free. Near the door, CSA students sold bubble tea and ramen to students. Most students seemed to be enjoying the food, and a few even went back for second helpings of their favorite dishes. A big favorite of the event was the fish pool, where students could put nets in the water and catch their own little fish. As fish are the only pets allowed in the Stevens dorms, some students may have already had a fish tank. Fish already kept by Stevens students most likely found out that night that there would be at least one new friend sharing their living space.

The CSA has put on the Mid-Autumn festival for several years, and it will likely go on for years to come. Students certainly enjoyed the different food from the regular Pierce fare, and the relaxed mood made it something they would want to return to. CSA meets biweekly, and their next event will be a Hot Pot night. If it is as well-advertised as the Mid-Autumn festival, it is very likely that the CSA’s next event will be a success!

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