On Feb. 6, Montera’s Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Club hosted a party to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
The event lasted from 2:40 pm to 3:30 pm. Students received wristbands prior to the event, marking them as official guests and allowing them to enter.
“It’s great! People look to be having a great time. I’m glad that people are here enjoying themselves and learning about each other.”, Erica Saephan, the head of the AAPI club remarked as she observed the guests. Many students agreed with her statement.
Planning began on January 20th. Saephan prompted members to give ideas based on the previous parties. They designated jobs to each member in order to ensure the party could be hosted without any problems.
Once jobs were assigned, members began designing different activities the guests could interact with. Multiple members designed posters containing the answer for a scavenger hunt, while others created material for Bingo and a Wishing Tree.
On the morning of the party, Saephan and a few club members strung up red paper lanterns inside the MUR. These lanterns, often referred to as Hóng Dēng Zhào, date back to ancient Chinese culture and are used to bring good fortune for the new year.
At 1:00pm, Saephan and a majority of the club members started preparing for the party. They taped the scavenger hunt posters on the walls of the MUR, set the tables, and placed the material for activities on the tables. Members contacted their parents and guardians to supply the party with food and serving utensils.
Setting up lasted until the beginning of the party. Members and parents went to their stations and awaited the guest’s arrival. Students were very pleased upon arriving at Montera’s Lunar New Year Festival of 2025.
“The AAPI party is very, very fun, and I feel like all the food tastes pretty good, so that’s nice.” 7th grade student Irene Park had an especially positive review about the party. Students had fun eating and talking for almost an hour before heading home.