By Megan Zimmerer

During an action-packed week, Miami University’s Confucius Institute participated in Stress Less Week, the 2016 Higgin Kim Asia Symposium 2016 at the Farmer School of Business, International Fair, and the Asian Festival. These events provided an excellent opportunity for meaningful cultural exchange between international and domestic students.

In recognition of the mounting pressure students face as finals draw near, the Student Counseling Service and Suicide Prevention Team sponsored Miami University’s 2nd annual Stress Less Week. On Wednesday, April 13th, CI students and staff hosted an event called “The Art of Chinese Tea.” Students and staff gave out free samples of delicious tea, using traditional Chinese tea sets and teaching visitors the art of mindfulness. On Thursday, April 14th Yazhou led a Kung Fu workshop, teaching participants a healthy way to relieve stress through exercise.

On Wednesday April 13, members of CI attended a conference at the Farmer School of Business. Students gathered outside to watch a Lion Dance performance and a Kung Fu demonstration. Students and staff agreed it was an excellent opportunity to experience Chinese culture.

The following day, CI student volunteers set up a tea booth for the International Fair. Visitors were greeted by a cheerful panda bear mascot and encouraged to take pictures. The Chinese Information Association set up a booth so that visitors could enjoy snacks, examine colorful posters and books on China, and engage the Chinese students at the booth, who were dressed in beautiful Han Dynasty clothing. Later, CI students gave a musical performance and a martial arts demonstration.

On Friday April 15, CI set up a booth to represent China for the Asian Festival uptown. Many people attended the festival, ambling leisurely through the booths and enjoying the performances on stage. One student remarked, “They picked a beautiful day for a festival! We had no idea this was going on today, but I’m glad we stumbled upon it. They did a fantastic job of setting everything up, and the performances were great.”