In collaboration with student organizations across Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), McLean’s Korean Club hosted a picnic on Sept. 29. The event was held at Van Dyck Park and open to all FCPS community members, with various foods and traditional games offered for members.
“The turnout was very good,” senior and co-president Hyeyeon Lee said. “We had more than 50 members from FCPS Korean clubs and Asian Student Associations attending.”
The event was an opportunity for students to interact with friends and take a break from school work. In total, eight schools, including Fairfax, Langley, Woodson, Chantilly, Lake Braddock, Centreville and Robinson High School participated in the picnic.
“My favorite part about the picnic was the food and playing mafia with everyone,” Lee said. “This kind of event, hosted with people outside of McLean, is important because we get to connect with people of [the] same cultural background or interests outside of school.”
The potluck style gave the members a chance to enjoy a variety of dishes. McLean’s Korean Club brought homemade rice balls, a popular Korean dish of clumped rice, proteins and fresh vegetables.
“Traditionally, Korean culture is very open to sharing food,” Lee said.
This spirit of inclusivity reflects the club’s broader mission.
“The whole objective of our Korean Club is to promote Korean culture and create a place where Korean culture is accessible to anyone, creating a more inclusive community,” senior and co-president Youngchan Kim said. “Outreaching to places other than just McLean definitely achieves that.”
With more projects in the works, the Korean Club is just getting warmed up.
“We have a planned food giveaway for a senior home event, which will happen soon in October,” Kim said. “Also, we participate in International Night every year and we plan to have another collaboration event with other McLean clubs to celebrate the Lunar New Year.”
