It is Friday afternoon and as you walk past Crossroads, you see a crowd of both VWS and WSC students. Confused, you get closer and spot the ISP members at a table; they grin happily as you pass by, telling you to try the delicious mooncakes and boba. Baffled, you check the date today. It is not just September 12th, 2019, but also the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Historically, the Mid-Autumn Festival was known for being an appreciation of the moon and harvest in Chinese culture, while today it symbolizes family reunion and being with loved ones. Since many students celebrate the festival, Webb has a tradition of providing a large variety of food such as boba and mooncakes, thereby uniting the community with delicious snacks.
Since 21% of Webb students are international, the International Student Program (ISP) and Romana Quick, International Student Program Coordinator, recognize the importance of cultural diversity. Alice Hou (‘20), Co-Head of ISP, said, “We try to make everybody feel like Webb is their home away from home.”
Jessica Cao (‘23), an international boarder, showed up at the celebration. She said, “I actually miss my family. But, in Webb you have mooncakes and boba and even though it’s not free… I feel like home whenever I see the mooncakes.”
Ken Rosenfeld, Dean of Campus Life, supported Mrs. Quick and the ISP in their effort to organize this event. He said, “We have had the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration with mooncakes and boba for a number of years and it is a great way to bring our community together.”
While many students appreciate the food provided at the Mid-Autumn Festival, others offered constructive ideas to further improve Webb’s inclusivity in the following years. Administration has been taking students’ constructive feedback to improve not only events at Webb but other features such as the dining hall food and enforcing rules about ordering on campus.
This not only helps to make Webb a better place, but it also fosters a sense of community in both faculty and students. Logan Causley (‘22) said that although he enjoyed the boba and moocakes, he would “love to do more cultural events not just with China and other Spanish speaking countries.”
While there are many other traditions at Webb, such as the Welcome Back Dance, Haunted House Party, and more, this celebration was definitely an amazing start to the school year. The legacy of cultural event celebrations will continue, as ISP implements more cultural events like the Mid-Autumn Festival at Webb.
