By Abbie Rosen
A screening of “Ringu,” the Japanese version of “The Ring,” was just one of the events sponsored this semester by the Asian Culture Society here at Fitchburg State University. The club, which has been in existence for four years, has been making an extra effort to create an impact on campus. But what does Asian Culture Society (ACS) actually do? How do they operate? Are there specific qualifications to start taking part in the club? What kinds of events do they try to sponsor and why?
“We meet in Percival 202 at 5 p.m. every Wednesday and our meetings usually last for about an hour,”says Vice President Josh Pioccone.
He describes the meetings as a time for members to catch up, have a snack, and watch videos. These are the most regular events for the club, however they are just one of many.
“The president usually has a list of topics that cover all of the club’s happenings,” Pioccone says. “This normally takes up most of the club’s time, as we often have a lot to talk about pertaining to what the club is up to. Occasionally we have games and icebreakers as well – anything to make the meetings more interesting.”
Pioccone explains that the club, consisting of 20 to 25 people, likes to plan events that can attract as many people as possible.
“Although we’re called the Asian Culture Society, not everyone is – or has to be – Asian.,” Pioccone says. “In fact, this year our e-board of six people has only two people with an Asian heritage. In terms of ratio, I’d say about a half to two thirds of the club has some sort of Asian heritage.”
“We’ve done, and plan to do, game nights, movie nights, talent shows, cultural shows, origami making, tai chi, fundraisers, and food making,” Pioccone says. “We hope to have another cultural show this coming semester as well, as well as many other unique and cool ideas to show how awesome our club is.”
The Asian Culture Show, like the one they had at the end of last year, showcases a range of talents.
“The Asian Culture Show was a massive, approximately three-hour event,” Pioccone says. “Spanning something like 16 or 17 acts and having performances of all kinds, from live music to singing to martial arts to dance.”
As anyone could surmise, this event in particular takes weeks of planning, and practice for each of the acts.
“I’m proud to admit I was a part of a brief ‘Matrix Ping-Pong’ performance” Pioccone says, “Something that has to be seen to understand how awesome it looks.”