CSA Lunar Banquet a celebration of culture, food, and entertainment
“I don’t know how you can hate from outside of the club, you can’t even get in!” exclaimed Chris Brown.
Well, sort of.
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Two students from the Chinese Student Association kicked off their annual CSA Lunar Banquet at the Stamp Grand Ballroom last Thursday with a goofy rendition of Brown’s popular hit single, “Look At Me Now,” and the 300-person crowd roared in approval.
“The Lunar Banquet is an event that we want to introduce our Chinese culture to all the people on campus,” CSA auxiliary officer Rose Zhang said. “We want everyone who wants to learn about China to come together.”
Jingke He, an alumnae of this university and a former member of the Chinese Student and Scholar Association, added, “I’m glad that Chinese students who grew up in America can celebrate the Chinese New Year (through the Lunar Banquet).”
The Grand Ballroom was decorated with traditional Chinese ornaments while Chinese pop music filled the air. In the corner, CSA set up a photo booth with the backdrop of a traditional Chinese building where guests took commemorative pictures. To top it all off, guests were treated to an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet.
The night’s entertainment featured performances like the traditional Chinese Dragon Dance by the Chinese Youth Center and games like a ramen-eating contest,
Among other performances was the Tianyi Dance Team’s Miao dance, an ancient style of dancing practiced by the Hmong, China’s fifth largest ethnic group
The banquet received support from other student organizations as well.
When asked what brought him to the event, Sammy Park, president of the Korean Student Association, said, “I wanted to support other Asian groups on campus.” Park even showcased his singing talent at the banquet, performing a song in both Korean and Chinese with Kyoung Lee, another member of the KSA.
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The night was all about celebrating the biggest holiday among the Chinese and introducing the unique Chinese culture to those unfamiliar with it.
“It doesn’t matter where we grew up, we’re all Chinese,” He said.
