Chin club is still going strong this year as almost 60 members prepare for the upcoming Chin Festival in February, where they dance, sing and perform with the intention of letting others discover their ethnicity.
Meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month in the lecture hall after school. In addition, the club actively engages with the communities around them by dancing in different schools, providing community service to Keep Lewisville Beautiful and spreading their culture throughout the DFW area. Special events are also held for Chin pastors to meet and discuss how to improve the community.
“As vice president, I make the job easier for the president by giving hours to students and organizing events like the bamboo dance,” junior Ros Par said. “But it’s hard getting our Chin students to actually want to participate.”
Although there is a lack of member participation at times, the club strives to make improvements and exalt their influence by partaking in relief projects.
“Last year, we helped donate supplies to refugees and those in need of help,” sponsor Rita Lasuzzo said. “The members worked with the SAPP club to send menstrual products to the most affected regions in Burma. A few of our CIS students and teachers went to Burma to distribute them.”
The country of Burma is where the Chin are from, but there is a civil war currently taking place from the military coop forcibly taking over the government. Fortunately, the Chin Club has worked hard to spread awareness through Project Chin Hills, where they raise fundraisers to send aid to the Burmese citizens.
The organization not only allows members to help others and show off their culture, but it also provides scholarship opportunities from Judson University.
“The benefits have been amazing,” Lasuzzo said. “The students have learned so much about Judson because they honor the Chin culture so much. We might even go on a field trip this year to let students visit the campus and receive more opportunities to be able to excel in their academic area.”
Furthermore, the club offers graduation cords to honor the services of the senior members. About 20 hours of community service are required to be able to earn this reward.
“I joined the club because it’s my ethnicity,” senior officer Joseph Kahn said. “I won’t be here anymore next year, but I am pretty satisfied with the club. I’m looking forward to doing new things with the hope that we get to go on more field trips.”
