Written by Joseph Holevinski, Converge multimedia journalism intern and Senior at Gwinnett School of Math, Science & Technology (GSMST)
At my school, the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, there are several student organizations that help students learn more about different cultures and foreign language classes that are available. One of these clubs that I am a part of is the Chinese Club.
Chinese Club is a unique club that gives members a look into the complexity and the traditions of Chinese culture. The organization was started by an upper-level Chinese teacher. In addition to showing some of China’s culture, it allows for students who aren’t taking Chinese because it is one of the smaller foreign language classes to reconsider taking it.
The club hosts bi-weekly meetings where they discuss different aspects of festivals, food and activities present in China. Some of the Chinese club’s most popular meetings are their food meetings. At these meetings, the club officers give a presentation with information about a common dish enjoyed in China, such as scallion pancakes, dumplings or mooncakes. Then, the officers give a demonstration on how to make the food. The members then have the opportunity to make the food on their own. At the end of the meeting, all of the members get to enjoy the food they made and now can make the food on their own.
In order to get a better look at the behind-the-scenes of the club, I interviewed this year’s Club President Grace Shao. Grace is currently a senior and has been a part of the Chinese Club for the past four years. Last year was the first time she held an officer position in the club and this year she became club president. She joined the club because she “loved to see Chinese culture being shared with the student body.” Grace went on to tell me how she hopes to “see the club grow and develop and reach more students.”
Grace shared with me how the different officers have separate roles: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Social Media Coordinator and Creative Arts Director. All of the different officers help the club run smoothly as well as update their website and Instagram profile. The club is really made for the students, by the students and is an important part of sharing Chinese culture throughout the school.
