焦點人物 Mike Chen 陳景星
(The following text is an excerpt from the book Chinese Americans in Irvine 1971-2021)
Ever since I led my son into the door of Irvine Chinese School in 1989, I have forged an indissoluble bond with the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association and Irvine Chinese School (SCCCA/ICS) for more than 30 years.
My involvement started at the first parent-teacher conference that I attended. After I expressed my opinion in service points implementation and gift vouchers, I was “recruited” by the vice president of the PTO (Parents Teachers Organization), Mr. Jack Hsu, to push the sale of the supermarket gift vouchers to raise funds for the PTO. Every Sunday, with a pocketful of nearly $10,000 worth of vouchers, I would stroll around the campus meeting parents and selling the vouchers. As a result, I got to know and befriended many parents. Soon, I became the room parent representative leader in my children’s classes and occasionally a guest substitute teacher. Later, I served as the director of the PTO and the editor of the school's bimonthly journal, “A Step Into Irvine” and the PTOs “Parents' Association Monthly”.
As a Board director of the Association from 1997 to 1998, I was responsible for the extracurricular sports games. The parents and I chaperoned nearly a hundred students on the bus to Los Angeles for the annual Chinese Haihua Games and brought back more than a dozen glittering group trophies and many individual track and field medals. It was the most glorious period of Irvine Chinese School.
When the Cultural Center was completed in 2005, I was entrusted with the task of compiling the special issue of the new building inauguration ceremony “Inheriting the Future”. From the collected manuscripts, we affirmed the contribution of every donor in the construction of the center. Unity is the strength. In 2006, my youngest daughter graduated from the Irvine Chinese School and entered university. It should have been my graduation day from the Chinese School, too. However, in 2007, I was elected as the secretary to the board of directors overseeing the management of the newly completed school building. With its own building, the Cultural Center was off to smooth sailing. However, due to the different management concepts of the directors, it led to court proceedings and a full re-election of directors. It was the most difficult time in the history of the association. After this heavy blow, the council decided to hire a full-time principal to lead the Chinese School. The subcommittee of the board revised the by-laws and at the same time, I prepared a manual Handbook for the staff. Since then, there are clear guidelines for the school.
After accumulating many years of volunteer service in the school and the council, the Chinese school has become my second home. Throughout the campus and other gathering places of the Chinese, there will always be familiar faces. In recent years, together with Mr. Albert Tseng, we have established the Dragon and Lions team. The hard training every Sunday afternoon has resulted in many invitations to perform on various occasions and the team has become popular.
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, this activity cannot continue.
In 2016, it was Irvine Chinese School’s 40th anniversary and I was the vice president of the Association. I assisted in organizing the “Flying Over Forty” Benefit Concert at the Orange County Performing Arts Center and editing a commemorative special issue. In 2017-2020, the Cultural Center and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra co-organized the annual Lantern Festival. The finale was an outdoor dragon dance performance which attracted many spectators.
At the end of September 2018, I presided over the opening ceremony of the outdoor expansion project of the Cultural Center. This outdoor amphitheater is a venue where events are held to promote cultural exchanges and integrate diversity in the community. In 2020, stadium seat cushions have been added so that the audience can sit comfortably to watch the performance. During the pandemic, this amphitheater played a major role.
(以下文字摘錄自《爾灣華裔紀實1971-2021》一書)
自從1989年帶領兒子踏入爾灣中文學校大門起,我就和南海岸中華文化協會結下三十多年不解之緣。
第一年參加家長會大會時,由於發言有關學校點數執行和推行禮券的事,被當時的家長會副會長徐可強先生「徵召」 幫忙推銷超级市場禮券為家長會籌款,每逢週日上課時,口袋裡帶著近萬元的禮券,在校園裡逛著,遇到家長,不管認識或不認識,都上前去推銷,也因此結識了許多家長和朋友。然後分別做過兒女班上的家長班代表、偶爾客串代課老師,後來又任家長會理事、學校《走進爾灣》雙月刊和家長會的《家長會月刊》的編輯。
1997-1998 年身為協會的理事,負責校外運動會,和學校及家長會共同帶領將近百位學生,分批搭巴士到洛杉磯,參加一年一度海華運動會,拿回十多座金光閃閃的團體獎杯和許多個人田徑單項獎牌,那是爾灣中文學校最風光的時期。
2005年文化中心落成時,被委以編纂新廈落成典禮特刊《 繼往開來》的任務,從收集的稿件中,了解每位奉獻者在建造這中心的貢獻,團結才是力量。2006年小女兒從爾灣中文學校畢業, 進入大學,本該也是我的畢業日,但 2007年卻因緣際會被選入理事會擔任秘書,協助打理新落成的校舍管理會務。文化中心擁有自己的校址原本該是很好的開始,卻因為理事成員對管理的理念不同,招致對簿公堂以致全面改選理事,那是協會有史以來校務延誤,最艱難的時光。經此一重擊後,理事會決定雇用專任的校長來帶領團隊。理事會成立小組修改會章,同時,我也準備學校教職員手册,讓學校團隊有明確的規章可遵循。
累積多年在學校和理事會義工服務,中文學校似乎變成我的第二個家,校園中、華人聚集地總會碰到熟面孔。近年來和曾昭華兄一起成立祥龍瑞獅隊,每週日下午的苦練,換來多次應邀在各種場合的表演,受到熱烈歡迎,可惜近期因為疫情所困,無法繼續。
2016 爾灣中文學校創校四十週年,我時任副會長,協助籌辦在橙縣藝術表演中心的「飛越四十」 音樂會,並編輯紀念特刊。2017-2020 文化中心和太平洋交響樂團每年合辦元宵燈會,壓軸戲就是舞龍的室外表演,吸引許多觀眾圍觀。
2018 九月底,我主持文化中心戶外擴建工程落成啟用典禮,這室外的表演場地促進我們文化中心和社區、主流團體的交流,融合多元文化。2020 年在戶外劇場觀眾席,添置了椅墊,使得觀眾可以舒適地坐著看表演。在疫情期間,這戶外劇場發揮了很大的作用。
2021 年六月,我耗費最多心力的中式涼亭落成, 至此校園硬體設施告一段落,我同時卸下南海岸中華文化協會會長職務,結束長達 32年的義工生涯。飲水思源,感謝這麼多年來支持學校的捐贈者,我有幸一路見證中文學校從當初租借大學高中寄人籬下的時期至今茁壯成為全球第一的海外華語文中心,兼具六藝「禮樂射御書數」的功能。這段經歷讓我的生活更充實,回憶更甜美。(陳景星撰文)