Mid-Autumn Festival Bonds Students and Faculty

月下团圆，师生同聚：Milton Academy的中秋之夜

By Leo Wan ‘28, Translated By Cindy Zeng ‘27

Pinchun Wan（28届）

译者：Cindy Zeng 曾馨仪

The aroma of chow mein, grilled chicken, and warm laughter filled the air of Milton Academy’s Farokhzad Mathematics Center (FMC) on the evening of Monday, October 6, as students, faculty, and families gathered for this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. The Mid-Autumn Festival, oftentimes referred to as the “Moon Festival,” is celebrated across East and Southeast Asia as a time of reunion and gratitude. Co-sponsored by Asian Society, Hallyu, Tang, and Astronomy Club, this event marked the first large-scale dinner held in the FMC this year. The space, usually known for math classes, was transformed into a cultural hub, with long strings of lights draped across the ceiling, paper lanterns adorning warmly lit rooms, and an inviting arrangement of round tables that filled quickly as the night began.

十月六号星期一的傍晚，Milton Academy的数学楼（FMC）里飘荡着炒面与烤鸡的香气，一片欢声笑语。师生家长齐聚一堂，共庆一年一度的中秋节。中秋节，又称“月亮节”，是东亚与东南亚地区象征团圆与感恩的重要节日。此次校内活动由Asian Society（亚洲学生社团）、韩流社（韩国文化社团）、唐（中国文化社团）、与Astronomy Club（天文社团）联合举办，也是今年FMC举行的首次大型晚宴。原本严谨安静的数学教室摇身一变被装点成流光溢彩的集会：一串串的彩灯如星河般悬挂于天花板，与纸灯笼交相辉映，圆桌整齐排列，会场氛围热烈地欢迎着络绎不绝的宾客。

According to Ben Wang '27, an Asian Society board member and one of the event’s organizers, the setup began hours before the celebration: “Board members across four clubs collaborated to put up lights, prepare activities, and make the FMC feel warm and festive.” He explained that “dinners like these are what bring the festive spirit to life; they make everyone feel closer.” By 6:00 p.m., more than 150 people had filled the space, including both local families with young children and parents of boarders who had flown in to partake in the festive spirit. “Even those who didn’t sign up at first showed up because they didn’t want to miss it,” Wang added. 

Asian Society董事会成员之一、活动组织者Ben Wang（27届）表示，准备工作早在活动开始前几个小时就已如火如荼：“四个社团的成员齐心协力，挂灯，布置等等，让整个FMC洋溢着节日气氛。”他说，“这样的晚宴带来的节日喜悦使所有来的人的倍感亲切。”到了晚上六点，现场已经聚集了150多人——既有带着孩子参加的本地华裔家庭，也有远道而来的国际生家庭。“甚至有些原本没有报名的人也来了，可能他们不想错过这样美好的夜晚，” Wang补充道。

Most attendees agreed that the food catered at the event was more than tasty. The festival featured a mix of dishes from Cathay Pacific and BBQ Chicken, running the gamut from teriyaki skewers to fried rice and mooncakes, a Chinese dessert traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn festival. Sissi Ma ’26, a senior who has attended similar past events, praised the variety: “I really appreciated how they incorporated different Asian flavors, not just Chinese. It showed how diverse the Asian community here is.” “[There was] lots of good food,” Isaac Wu ’28 agreed with a grin. “The chicken wings were my favorite,” said Dennis Zhou ’27, “you really don’t get such good food here often. I really wish there were more events like this.”

活动提供的美食可谓色香味俱全，包括了来自Cathay Pacific和BBQ Chicken的多种菜肴，从照烧鸡腿串、炒饭、到象征中秋团圆的月饼，应有尽有。26届的Sissi Ma在对比Milton往年的中秋活动后称赞说：“我特别喜欢他们加入的不同亚洲风味，而不只是中餐，体现了Milton亚洲群体的多元性。” Isaac Wu（28届）笑道：“那天的菜真的很好吃。” Dennis Zhou（27届）也同样感叹：“那天的鸡翅实在太好吃了！平时根本吃不到这么好吃的饭菜，真希望能多办几次这样的活动。”

Despite being thousands of miles away from home, boarding students found comfort in the shared experience. Wesley Xue ’28, a sophomore from Beijing, noted that “though [he was] away from [his] family, [he] was able to feel that reconnection with [his] Milton peers. ” Even first-year students like Charles Xie ’29 felt that same sense of belonging, surprised that “so many people came, and not just Asian students, but everyone.” Xie “I didn’t think Mid-Autumn would be such a big thing here in the U.S.” Additionally, for Ma, reunion had a more literal meaning: “I saw teachers I hadn’t seen in a while, such as Mr. Zhou, Dr. Lawlor, and Ms. Darling.”

虽独在异乡，但不为异客——对于离家万里的寄宿生来说，这次的中秋活动让他们倍感温暖。来自北京的Wesley Xue（28届）说：”即使离家很远，在这里能与好友共庆，我找到了那种回家的感觉。”新生Charles Xie （29届）也有同感：“没想到会有那么多人来，不仅仅是亚洲学生，大家都来庆祝了。”而对Sissi Ma来说，这次团圆更有更深刻的意义：“我还见到了许久未见的老师，比如说周老师（Mr. Zhou)、Lawlor博士、和Darling老师。”

Returning to Milton for the first time since his departure last year, Mr Hans Zhou, the former Director of International Students, saw the Mid-Autumn Festival as a “truly heartwarming experience.” Surrounded by dozens of sentimental students, he agreed that “it felt very nice to be back on campus and see familiar faces again.” Mr. Zhou further reflected on how, in previous years, the festival had “always symbolized connection for Milton’s international community, bringing together students and staff who [were] far from home.” Watching his former students gather around him, he felt that same sense of closeness. He also shared his amazement at the event’s magnitude: “It was both surprising and wonderful to see that everyone came. There were a lot more participants than in previous years.”

去年离任的国际学生事务主任Hans Zhou周老师专程回来参加了这次活动。他感叹道：“能回来在校园看到熟悉的面孔，让我喜出望外。”周老师回忆说，Milton国际学生群体组织的中秋节活动一直以来都“将离家千里的师生凝聚在一起。”看到往日的学生围绕身边，他惊叹道：“既惊喜又感动，今年人真多。”

One of the evening’s most notable moments came when Astronomy Club faculty sponsor Mr Jim Kernohan set up telescopes outside the FMC for moon-viewing. Students took turns scrutinizing the bright, cratered face of the moon. “The astronomy part was so special,” claimed Ma. “It added a scientific twist to the tradition.” Wang further clarified the underlying cultural significance: “In Chinese tradition, we eat mooncakes and look at the moon as a way to honor the story of Chang’e. It’s about remembering who we love, even from far away.” Xie also heartwarmingly admitted that “eating mooncakes while looking at the moon brought back the feeling of [his] household.”

夜晚的一大亮点是天文社指导老师Jim Kernohan在户外布置以供赏月的望远镜。学生们眯着眼，轮流透过望远镜仰视那皎皎明月，细数月面上的环形山。“这个环节太特别了，” Sissi Ma说，“让传统多了一层科学的趣味。” Ben Wang也解释了赏月背后的文化意：“在中国传统文化中，我们吃月饼，赏明月，是纪念神话中嫦娥奔月的故事，也是在思念远方的亲人。” Charles Xie笑着补充：“边吃月饼边赏月，我有一刹那以为我真的在家。”

Beyond the food and moonlight, the night was filled with laughter, especially during performances. Students, like Anton Badushov ’26 and Grant Morishita ’26, performed a range of music, from Chinese songs to popular music. Wu, who also took the stage, enjoyed the “cheers and smiles across the room,” despite being “very much off-pitch.” Others engaged in activities that the organizers had prepared. “It was incredibly fun seeing little kids making lanterns in the crafts room,” Wang commented. Others, like Xue and Xie, missed out on lantern-making as they were unaware of the activity, a mishap Zhou considered “a small lesson in communication for future organizers.” Still, the overall sentiment was clear: “seeing everyone enjoying themselves, that's what made all the work worth it,” Wang recalled.

除了美食与明月，这个夜晚更充满了欢声笑语。学生们，如Anton Badushov （26届）与Grant Morishita（26届），演唱了各种从中文歌曲到欧美流行音乐的不同曲目。同样登台献唱的Isaac Wu在自称“跑调”的同时也享受了“观众的掌声与喝彩”。另一边，活动准备的手工环节也热闹非凡。“看到小朋友们一起做灯笼，真是其乐融融。” Wang笑道。不过，也有同学因为没有得知消息而错过了灯笼制作环节——周老师把这当作给“未来组织者的小小提醒。” 但无论如何，所有人都认同一点，正如Wang所说的：“大家都玩得十分开心，这是最重要的。那一刻，我们付出的努力都值得。”

As the night ended and the lights in the FMC dimmed, the moon remained high over Milton’s campus. The same crew that handled the setup also diligently participated in the cleanup, marking a beautiful ending to the Mid-Autumn Festival.

夜色渐深，FMC的灯光点点渐暗，而明月仍旧高悬。白天布置场地的学生此刻又在默默收拾善后，为此次庆典画下了一个圆满的句号。