To celebrate Lunar New Year, students from the high school traveled to the Chinese Consulate in New York City on February 19 and enjoyed activities with other schools.
Students traveled by bus to the Chinese Consulate in New York City and attended the China-U.S. Youth Joint Celebration of the Year of the Horse.
The event featured performances from Souderton’s advanced choir and chamber orchestra, as well as dance troupes from The Manhattan School of Music and the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China. Consul General Chen Li also spoke at the event.
According to world languages coordinator Christine Yardley, she loved that it included more than one class.
Yardley said that students from music classes, Mandarin classes and social studies classes all attended the trip.
“I think [the trip] gives students a personal connection,” Yardley said. “Instead of just viewing the other country as what they see in the media or what they read in the newspaper, it gives people a face and a name.”
Additionally, Yardley hopes that the trip “opens students’ eyes” and encourages them to travel the world and explore different cultures besides their own.
Each school that attended had a student representative to speak for their school.
Sophomore Ayat Rizvi was Souderton’s representative. According to Rizvi, her favorite part of the trip overall was speaking at the Consulate, and she felt that it was a very “eye-opening experience.”
“I do think it was a good experience because I felt like it brought people together, especially since our school isn’t that culturally diverse,” Rizvi said. “I think it taught people different things about other cultures.”
Rizvi said that she would love to go back if given the opportunity.
Along with students from the Mandarin and social studies classes, students from music classes attended as well.
Advanced choir member Jackson Degeiso enjoyed his experience performing at the Consulate.
“It was a really cool chance to explore other cultures while also sharing some of our own stories and performances with other people,” Degeiso said. “I think that’s a really cool opportunity that you don’t get to do every day.”
Degeiso said that he enjoyed the songs the choir performed, which included “Precious Lord,” “God Bless America” and a traditional Chinese folk song, “Mo Li Hua,” which means jasmine flower.
Degeiso also said that the trip, overall, was a great experience.
He liked hanging out with his friends and getting the opportunity to share his culture, as well as learning about others.
“I think the best way to understand the human experience is to talk with other people and see how our cultures can mix together,” Degeiso said.