Victoria Swander

The goal of the Chinese Club was to enhance students’ understanding of Chinese culture, history, and language. I became involved with this group in the spring of 2014 because I wanted to ready myself for my study abroad trip to China that summer. By joining a club of people with similar interests and learning about some of the culture ahead of time, I hoped to be better prepared for what I might see or experience. I also knew some of the other members of this club would be attending the trip with me, and I hoped to get to know them better.

 

I really enjoyed interacting with and learning from the other students. A few members were Chinese or Chinese-American, and most of the other students were taking Chinese language courses. I loved the relaxed atmosphere and strong sense of community. I learned from the officers the importance of being friendly and approachable. I appreciated how welcoming and open they were, and how they strived to get everyone engaged during activities. The more effort they put into making sure I was participating, the more I wanted to attend their meetings and events. I would later do my best to incorporate this attitude as an officer into my other clubs. It’s important while in a leadership position to ensure that those who may be looking to you for direction feel comfortable approaching you. You have to be aware of what kind of image or message you may (intentionally or unintentionally) be sending to others. If you don’t appear to be open and enthusiastic, you risk losing the opportunity to hear potentially creative and successful ideas from your other club members.

 

I also learned to start taking initiative. Rather than waiting until the next meeting to see what help was needed or what progress had been made, I began contacting the officers outside of meetings to check in and offer myself as being available. To my surprise, at the end of the semester they approached me and requested that I accept a position for the following semester. I realized by offering to complete a task or project instead of waiting to be told what to do, I was able to help the group progress faster. After some discussion I decided to accept the Secretary position. As Secretary, I was primarily responsible for the organization of records and communication both within and beyond the club. I kept attendance to show a history of individual participation and learned to take careful notes during meetings. I responded to and sent out emails on behalf of the club. As a result of my time with this group, I have also become more aware of the importance of structuring time. I realized that we often got very far off topic during our meetings. By compiling agendas and encouraging the others to not stray too far from them, I was able to help the group stay focused so that we could get more accomplished.

In addition to the organizational skills I have developed, I have had many memorable experiences during my time with this club. I participated in engaging group discussions relating to Chinese culture, watched documentaries and movies, went on field trips to museums and restaurants, and attended Asian cultural events within and beyond the Gainesville community. We cooked an authentic Chinese meal, sampled tea, and taught other students characters and phrases in Chinese. I celebrated the Chinese New Year for the first time with friends. We visited the Asian art gallery and Asia-related Museum Nights at the Harn Museum. In celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, we ate mooncakes and invited a UF student to play music for us on a traditional Chinese instrument. We traveled to Jacksonville with members of other student organizations to view Chinese folk dance performances at “Night of Asia”. Encounters like these, as well as the close friendships I have developed with other members, have helped me to better understand China and Chinese cultures.