The KASA and Chinese+ affinity groups led Lunar New Year celebrations at Casti through games and activities Friday, including traditional games similar to those in the Netflix Korean drama “Squid Game.”

“Because ‘Squid Games’ was so popular, that was a good way to advertise and get more people involved,” KASA co-lead Samantha Kim ‘24 said. “What’s great about it is, ultimately, the games that are being played are all still traditional games. We wanted to promote that and have more people get involved in the games – fight for a prize that’s a little bit more fun for people, while also being engaged with Lunar New Year traditions.”

During break, Chinese+ led Jiànzi (or Jegichagi, in Korean). To play the game, students kick a jiànzi, similar to a featherweight, on their feet, trying to keep it in the air for as long as possible. Chinese+ co-lead Norah Yang described the game as similar to dribbling a soccer ball.

During lunch, KASA led the game, Red Light, Green Light. Katherine Cheng got to the Dalgona Candy first, and was crowned the winner of Casti Squid Games 2024.

Students said they feel it is important to celebrate Lunar New Year at Casti, especially since it is one of the biggest holidays in Chinese culture. Chinese+ co-lead Lila Cole said that it was fun to bring the celebration to Casti and to share Chinese culture and food with other students.

“It’s also interesting to see how KASA celebrates the holiday and how our cultures are similar,” Cole said.

Sharing a diverse set of cultures is important to students who celebrate Lunar New Year. “It’s fun to see everyone experiencing a part of our culture,” onlooker Lexie Stinson ’24 said.

Celebrating cultural events at school can prompt discussions about the difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation. For Kim and Yang, student engagement and exposure to cultures are a great example of cultural appreciation.

“I’m really grateful. I think every year everyone’s really receptive to what we have planned. This year, even more people than before are involved,” Kim said.

KASA co-lead Abigail Kim ’25 stressed the appropriation of Korean culture in the media.

“There’s a lot of the media boiling down Korean culture, specifically to like what they see in K-pop and K-drama – and we don’t want to be doing that,” Abigail Kim said. “We want Casti to appreciate all the culture, traditions, how Korean the games are, and not necessarily how it’s ‘Netflix-fied’.”

Looking ahead, Abigail Kim said she hopes planning for future Lunar New Year celebrations will be less last-minute.

“It’s always been like that. Every year, we’ve been planning more and more and I think that will grow. We’ll always be more prepared every year,” Abigail Kim said.

Cole said she hoped students learned a little more about Asian culture through these celebrations.

“I hope that everyone at school was able to enjoy our celebration and that they’re able to take something away from it,” Cole said.