Candace Chambers
Variety Editor
On the night of a full moon, Jackson State University received a gift of Chinese culture at the Chinese Moon Festival held on Sept. 19, 2013.
The celebration provided an opportunity for students to come together to learn, fellowship, and embrace a way of life common in China.
The festival is one China’s most important celebrations and can be compared to Thanksgiving in America. Also known as the Mid-Autumn festival, the day of festivity occurs on the 15th of the 8th month on the lunar calendar. During the festival, families enjoy the full moon, eat dinner, and enjoy moon cakes and hot tea, similar to the events of the evening at JSU.
After food was served, a Chinese tea ceremony was held and students demonstrated the making of tea along with providing a brief history of the ceremony. Ya’ah, China grows the most expensive tea in the world.
In China, calligraphy, a form of visual writing, is a highly respected art form. It means “Good Writing” or “Beautiful Writing.” Jackson State student, Boling Zhao wrote, “We are really enjoying this festival,” for the audience’s enjoyment.
In an effort to increase academic diversity on campus, Jackson State has Memorandums of Understanding with various universities in China. Some include Minzu University of China in Beijing, Shaanxi Normal University in Xi’an, and Nantong University in Nantong Jiangsu.
Hongtao Yu, Professor and Chair of the Biochemistry Department at JSU emphasized the importance of increasing diversity, not just Chinese culture.
“Students at Jackson State should embrace all cultures. You are competing against people from other countries to find jobs,” said Yu.
With approximately 380 international students and scholars on campus, events like the Chinese Moon Festival aid in the appreciation of different cultures.
Hua Deng, a Graduate student, biochemistry major from Badond, China believes that students should willingly learn more about Chinese cultures.
“JSU is becoming more diverse and more students come from China. This circumstance may facilitate understanding about Chinese life style,” said Deng.
Fabio Russo, a Brazilian student in the JSU English as a Second Language program, enjoyed the learning opportunity.
“It was such a fun festival. I learned more about the Chinese culture and the festival,” said Russo.
LaQuinta Johnson, a social science major from Jackson, Miss. agreed.
“I liked it. I learned about the Moon Festival and about the ceremony,” she said.
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