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By A-CAST Youth
(Association of Chinese Americans in Southlake Texas)Spring Festival Recap
Spring Festival Recap
On February 10th, A-CAST hosted its third annual Southlake Spring Festival. The event celebrated cultures around the world, including countries such as China, Thailand, Korea, and more. There were over thirty booths from all around the DFW area, including a tea-tasting booth and a traditional paper-cutting booth.
The afternoon finished off with incredible featuring shows such as the fan-favorite taekwondo performance. It took nearly three months of hard work from our A-CAST board members to pull off such a large celebration, but safe to say the dedication paid off. Here are some highlights from the festival:
A group of talented Carroll ISD students performing a traditional Chinese dragon dance.
Can you spot BaoBao?
Dragon Youth Band, led by Mrs. Siew-Lee Chin, performing Star Spangled Banner!
Special thanks to A-CAST platinum sponsor- Deluxeton Homes, Gold sponsors- Hurst Pediatric Dentistry, Malacca Cafe, Twinkle Star, Methodist Healthcare, UT Arlington, and Grit Financial Partnership, as well as our many Silver sponsors. Your help and support to the A-CAST community is appreciated!
Solar Eclipse!
Solar Eclipse!
On April 8, 2024, a truly wonderful marvel occurred in Texas.
What is it, you ask?
Well, it was a TOTAL solar eclipse! Here in the DFW area, we got around 3 ½ minutes of totality! Many people viewed this magnificent natural phenomenon, kids and adults alike. Since the next total solar eclipse to happen in the DFW complex will be in 300 years, over 30,000 people traveled to Texas to witness this once-in-a-lifetime sighting. Additionally, schools let their students out during the period of totality so they can enjoy the splendid view of the solar eclipse, including the diamond, Bailey’s beads, and corona. Lucky us!
A-CAST organized these two eclipse-related events:
Solar eclipse packing:
The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) organized eclipse-related outreach activities supported by NSF and NASA. The UTA faculty-student teams visited 20 K-12 schools in the DFW area. To help UTA’s educational activities, A-CAST youth volunteered to pack over 4,000 packages for students and teachers, which included special glasses and designed bookmarks.
Over spring break, two workshops were set up for A-CAST youth to help with packing. Overall, we had around 30 volunteers ranging from 5th to 12th grade. A-CAST’s support is crucial for the success of the education event, which helped the students understand the science behind the eclipse and inspired kids’ interest in the STEM program. What a fun and meaningful time the youth had together!
UTA solar eclipse field trip:
On April 6th, 2024, the weekend right before the solar eclipse, A-CAST organized a special field trip to the UTA planetarium for the youths. A-CAST members got to watch an intriguing show about how the sun affects our world and history as well as how a solar eclipse occurs.
Afterwards, there were two speakers: UTA’s own physics Distinguished Professor, Dr. Yue Deng, and the prestigious International Astronomical Union (IAU) eclipse working group chair, Dr. Zhongquan Qu, from Yunnan Observatory in China. Both gave important insights into the solar eclipse and the complex science of the sun’s properties and activities.
Overall, the total solar eclipse was breathtaking and many people enjoyed the experience. DFW was so lucky to get a partially clear sky during the totality. Meanwhile, it provided an excellent opportunity for us to understand the science behind it.
Volunteering
Volunteering
As many of our ACAST members are in middle school and high school, it may be time to start thinking about volunteering. Here is a slideshow full of tips to help you be the best volunteer possible! Click here for detailed information on local volunteer opportunities and related video.
volunteering presentation.pptxCulture Corner
Culture Corner
Qing Ming Festival:
Qing Ming Festival:
April showers bring May flowers, but not all of April is gloom and doom. For this month’s Culture Corner, we are introducing the Qingming Festival (清明节). Dating all the way back to the Zhou Dynasty, the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated to honor one’s ancestors. It is observed on the 15th day following the Spring Equinox, meaning it typically falls on April 4th, 5th, or 6th on the Gregorian Calendar (it fell on April 4th this year).
During the Qingming Festival, people traditionally sweep the graves of their ancestors as a form of filial piety, a Confucian value that is integral in Chinese culture. The act of paying respect to one's ancestors demonstrates that they are still remembered, even in the afterlife. People also provide offerings to their ancestors, including food, drinks, and other items that the deceased enjoyed during life. The Qingming Festival is neither a day of joy or sorrow, simply peaceful remembrance of the people who made it possible for us to be here today.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
College Panel: 06/02/2024
Dragon Boat Festival: 06/10/2024
Election/A-CAST Intro Metting: TBD
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