After school every other Wednesday, members of the Asian-American and Pacific Islander Club (AAPIC) meet in Ms. Xiao He’s room and partake in a variety of activities.
Some meetings, members will play a game called shuttlecock, which is a Chinese game that is very similar to hacky sack. Other times members will give culture shares which is a presentation on their families heritage and traditions. There is almost always delicious food and candy, such as Lumpia, and every meeting allows members to get involved in a different way.
“[It is] a lot of fun. We eat a lot of Filipino and Asian food. We watch movies. We play games and hang out. Other times ,we do more serious stuff, but every meeting is really fun,” Nate Gretshel ‘24 said.
The club also organizes different events that allow every Gonzaga student to get involved. Earlier this year, AAPIC organized a shoe drive around Gonzaga. The shoes that were collected were donated to people living in the Philippines. The club has also organized bake sales, dress down days, and has provided food to the International Food Fair.
“As a club we are trying to get as involved as we can on campus. We set up the shoe drive earlier this year and we are continuing to try and find other ways that this club can make a meaningful impact on campus,” Aiden Tran ‘24 said.
The Asian-American Pacific Islander Club is a club designed for students to express their heritage, specifically their Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. Before the club was founded, there was no club at Gonzaga that was designed to have Asian and Pacific Islander students share their heritage. Clubs like LASSO and ONYX existed, but nothing like AAPIC existed.
“It was created as a way for the Asian community to come together. The Asian community in Gonzaga is pretty small, so having that outlet for the Asian community to connect and come together as one to express their similar heritages is extremely important,” said Ethan Soriano ‘24, a member of the club during all four years of his time at Gonzaga.
Despite AAPICs main goal of being a way for students of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to share their heritage, the club is open to all students of Gonzaga. The club welcomes every student, and everyone has an opportunity to get involved.
“Everyone should join because it is a great way to learn about asian culture, and everyone is welcome to join the club,” Gretschel said.
The club is lots of fun and offers students a very unique opportunity to learn about Asian culture. The club has very low commitment, and members don’t have to worry about going to every meeting. “If you’re still deciding whether or not you should join the club, remember that we have some really solid merch for everyone that wants to join the club,” Tran said.