(l-r) Margi Chan DMD 16, Jimmy Li DMD 17, Jonathan Kuang DMD 17, Guanghui Ling AS 16, Anh Phi Nguyen DMD 07, and Kathy Lituri
The Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) Asian Dental Student Organization (ADSO), in collaboration with Global & Population Health and the Tufts Asian Dental Student Association, participated in the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival on September 13, 2014, from 3–8 p.m. at Townfield Park in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is traditionally celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunisolar month, when the night moon is supposed to be the brightest and fullest. Due to inclement weather, however, this year organizers decided to hold the event on the thirteenth day of the month. The 3,000-year-old tradition is a family celebration usually accompanied by many outdoor activities. According to Chinese and Vietnamese tradition, families stay up late, eat moon cakes, and gaze at the moon—a symbol of peace, prosperity, and family reunion.
Approximately 100 members of Chinese and Vietnamese communities attended the free festival and enjoyed food tastings, lion dances, lantern decorating, raffles, and other activities. ADSO members were on site to provide oral screenings and promote oral health. The event concluded just after dusk with the traditional lighting of the “Kongming” lanterns or “sky lanterns”, popular with Chinese and Vietnamese children.
Faculty sponsor and Oral Health Promotion Director Kathy Lituri helped organize and prepare for GSDM’s involvement at the event. GSDM volunteers included: Margi Chan DMD 16, Jonathan Kuang DMD 17, Jimmy Li DMD 17, Guanghui Ling AS 16, and alumna Anh Phi Nguyen DMD 07.
Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter said, “Thank you to Kathy Lituri and all the ADSO volunteers that worked to make the School’s outreach at the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival a huge success.” He continued, “It is through efforts like this that the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine succeeds in its mission of excellence in community service.”