Mag Calligraphy Workshop

Writer: Olivia Varner

From 7 to 8:30 pm on Thursday, September 15th, students could come to the Fultz Quad for a SHODO/Japanese Calligraphy Workshop presented by MAG (the Multicultural Awareness Group). At the event, you could choose a word— or words— that you wanted to learn how to write and have fun with everyone else while doing it. Once confident enough to write it, you move on to the final product with the special calligraphy paper. It was a very chill and encouraging place to be, no matter how well you did while writing. You did not have to be fast while writing; it was highly encouraged to go slow if you were not confident since, even in Japanese culture, they might take a while on just one letter. I had a lot of fun—even as it got colder the later, it got in the evening— while I was there and learned more about this culture, not just from this but from an informational paper they handed out.

The history of this style of writing was that it was brought from China during the Aska period during the 6th-7th century and used to be a part of daily writing in the higher classes (the class system). Still, nowadays, Shodo classes are taken in elementary schools. Calligraphy can also be used for jobs like monks and official occasions.

Not only was there a workshop, but they also had a fundraiser for the club by selling grab bags full of ethnic snacks such as prawn crackers, Mauritian samosas, and Doritos wheels. I would highly recommend trying those snacks if you ever have the chance!