The "Green and Silver Co-creation" USR team of STUST and the Department of Senior Welfare Service worked hand in hand to demonstrate the effectiveness of talent cultivation. On the Lantern Festival this year, the "Jinhua Reminiscence of the Lantern Festival" activity was held in Jinhua community. The main purpose was to implement the goal of co-creation between the youth and the elderly to promote a happy life for the elderly, inviting community elders and young generations to experience the fun of making glutinous rice balls and celebrating the New Year and Lantern Festival.

[The “Green and Silver Co-creation” USR team of STUST and the Department of Senior Welfare Service co-organized the "Jinhua Reminiscence of the Lantern Festival."]

The USR team of STUST has been committed to the happy life and well-being of the elderly, creating an elderly community with respect, friendliness, and appreciation of the beauty of multicultural aspects. This event not only allowed the students of the Department of Senior Welfare Services to use what they have learned but also promoted activities for young people to learn the cultural skills of the elderly, becoming a great company to the elderly in celebrating the New Year. In addition, it also invited the elderly to actively participate in society and show their talents, making them directors of their activities and adding a lot of fun and sense of accomplishment to their lives.

[Students from the Department Senior Welfare Services of STUST were learning the skills of making glutinous rice balls from the elderly in Jinhua community. ]

During the event, the elders from Jinhua Community and the students of the Department Senior Welfare Services gathered together. Under the leadership of the host, the students and the elders completed the cooking from the dough to the final cooking of the dumplings. The atmosphere was warm and enjoyable. The elders who participated in the experience of making glutinous rice balls showed their strength and skills, and they were able to make a small round glutinous rice ball in a few seconds. Compared with the elders, the students’ skills were relatively unfamiliar. Under the teaching of the community elders, they became a school of busy bees and yet finally produced a great number of chubby glutinous rice balls. All of them are great students!

[A group photo of the elders from Jinhua Community, showing their cute “horns” and wish everyone a happy New Year of the Ox.]

It is customary for people to eat glutinous rice balls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and rubbing glutinous rice balls on the Lantern Festival symbolizes reunion. As recorded in Compendium of Materia Medica, glutinous rice can nourish the spleen and stomach and stabilize the functions of lungs. In addition, glutinous rice is also rich in nutrients, such as protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc. However, even if glutinous rice is good, people should not be greedy eating it, especially those with weak gastrointestinal functions; the elderly and children need to pay special attention to it.

As Chief Official Kun-Cheng Ke of Jinhuali Community said, it was great that the community elders and college students made glutinous rice balls together and that a happy atmosphere embraced everyone there. The event was very successful.

Ming-Tsai Lai, Vice President of STUST, said that the "Jinhua Reminiscence of the Lantern Festival" activity was mainly to use the Lantern Festival customs to bring different generations closer to each other. In particular, the activity promoted the concept of respecting and caring for the elderly, hoping to jointly create a friendly social environment for the elderly.