Professors and students showcased their talents during the Chinese program’s annual Chinese New Year Celebration on Friday in the LaFortune Student Center, including story telling, performances and games.
Visiting assistant professional specialist in the East Asian Languages and Culture Department Wei Wang, who helped to plan the event, said the goal of the celebration was to commemorate the most important Chinese festival and cultivate students’ cultural awareness of the holiday, the tradition and the history behind it.
“[The event was] an opportunity for our students to show their talent in Chinese, ignite their peers’ interest, meet and make friends with other Chinese students and communicate with instructors outside the classroom,” she said.
Another purpose for the celebration was to allow students from higher-level Chinese courses to be role models for the beginners, Wang said.
“The overarching theme was to unify the students and instructors, which will further improve cooperation and team spirit for the instructors,” she said.
The opening video was a compilation of professors and students giving their best wishes for the Lunar New Year, followed by duets, dances and comedic skits. Seniors Eric Brumleve and Diana Xu told the story of the Lunar New Year and the origins of the traditions. Freshman Kelia Li and sophomore Nathan Troscinski sang the Mandarin Chinese adaptation of the song “Let It Go” from the Disney movie “Frozen.”
Three level-based choruses performed throughout the celebration, consisting of Chinese language students of various levels.
Wang said almost all of the students learning Chinese actively participated in the event, whether singing in the choruses or participating in the games such as Chinese Charades and Ping-Pong Relay. Ho Ping House provided catering services for the entrees and Oriental Market provided the Chinese snacks, Wang said.
Sophomore Lucy Du does not take Chinese but she said she has a Chinese background.
“I’m really happy they planned this,” Du said. “It’s hard being away from home during Lunar New Year’s. This celebration reminded me somewhat of home and it’s comforting.”
