On April 2, the Lakewood High School Chinese Club held its Chinese knot meeting, where they made special Chinese Lucky Knots that symbolize blessings and good fortune. The knots are a staple of Lunar New Year, a holiday that focuses on family reunions, honoring ancestors, and welcoming spring.
The club is led by Piwen Ku, who has been teaching Chinese for 3 years at Lakewood High School and the district’s middle schools. Students call her “Guo Lao Shi,” which translates to “teacher.”
The Chinese Club is open to everyone to join at any time. They have been doing fun activities, but also learning new things about Chinese culture all year. The Chinese knots they made symbolize prosperity, longevity, love, and protection. Ku also brought steam buns for the students to enjoy while they made their knots
The knots have been around for a hundred thousand years, being hung up for celebrations, such as the Lunar New Year, which falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20.
“It’s called The Lucky Knot, and it is just using one string to make the beautiful knot. It represents unity and prosperity, also meaning good fortune and protection,” Ku said.
Senior Paisley Norris, a Chinese student of five years and member of the Chinese Club, appreciates the opportunity to learn more about the culture. “Events like these help my understanding of Chinese culture. It just gives you a different perspective,” Norris said.
Norris has kept an open mind about the ways in which Chinese culture differs from American culture. “I think it’s just like finding those comparisons and getting to experience it hands-on helps improve your understanding of the culture,” Norris said.
Besides the knots, the students were also able to try the buns that Ku brought. “The outside is very nice, the inside, I would describe it as kind of a vanilla dish, vanilla adjacent,” Norris said.
Senior Freddie Showers has also taken Chinese for five years. He enjoyed learning about the culture and understanding it more every day. “The class has taught me a lot, being able to understand more about the culture really helps me to see how different a lot of things are,” Showers said.
Showers believes that students should take advantage of their ability to learn languages, as they will learn about the culture as well. “Although learning a language is required, I still recommend others to try to at least learn a few while at it because it gives many opportunities and also gets you closer to other cultures,” Showers said.
Showers reflects the Chinese Club’s goal of not only teaching students the language, but also exposing them to the culture. It has brought many students to try new things, allowing them unique opportunities.
“I’m Chinese, I want everyone to know more about the Chinese culture, and they will enjoy it and understand more,” Ku said.
The Chinese Club has many different meetings and activities that are open to anyone interested. Ku wants everyone, and especially Lakewood High School students, to understand more about Chinese culture.
