By Michael Liu
Thursday, December 28th marked the festive and heartwarming congregation of officers and parents alike, where attendees feasted on succulent Chinese cuisines, embraced engaging activities, and interacted in team-building exercises. Generously hosted at the convivial and cozy May Dragon Chinese Restaurant, officers were graciously accepted into a dining room where, upon a quick gathering, words of appreciation, and an activity to determine randomized seating arrangements, the ravenous participants were seated in one of the four available round dining tables. After cheerful discussions among parents and officers alike, a cornucopia of authentic and fresh meals was served one after the other, including fried rice, flavorful lo mein noodles, and tender orange chicken. Following the feast, officers gleefully conversed and engaged in various activities, including Mahjong and a singing performance by Selina and Sally with the piano. With the parents, our mentor Ted Su also shared valuable advice and tips about college applications.Â
Following the fulfilling meals and engaging team-building, a moving speech was delivered by the Mayor of Addison City, Joe Chow, addressing and commending the hard work of both parents and officers and expressing the hopefulness and prosperity of the organization’s future and all its members. Emotionally moved, parents pitched into the following activity: an officer round of Simon Says, where each dollar allows an officer to attend, and all profits were split between the winners of the two rounds. After two competitive and long rounds, the final participants were fooled, and the winners were awarded with the parents’ generous contributions.
Ultimately, the final activity was announced: a white elephant gift exchange where each officer brought at least one gift to be exchanged randomly, the order determined by the cups of water consumed in the dinner. As the rounds progressed, participants delightfully claimed their favored gifts, relentlessly seized others’ gifts, and exchanged words of gratitude and excitement. Following such a dramatic series of events, the officers were delighted with their peers’ gracious generosity, ranging from a diverse assortment of nuts and exotic sweets to a massive pizza-making set. At last, following a series of dancing, expressions of gratitude to parents and peers, customary picture-taking, and concluding remarks from alumni and officers, the event was concluded, serving not only as a celebration of the organization's achievements but also as a testament to the bonds forged among officers and their families.
