The Chinese Lunar New Year was celebrated at the Caf with traditional music, games and a plethora of food enabling students to experience the joy and comradeship of the Chinese culture.
“Back home, we have reunion dinners with family and friends, and although I may not be able to spend this special occasion with family, I am happy to get to spend it with friends,” said Shem Woo, a freshman from Singapore studying biochemistry.
Lillian Meng, president of the China Student Association and a senior from China studying marketing, said she was grateful to be given the opportunity to organize this event because she wanted to not only unite the Chinese students, but also share her culture with others.
“Chinese New Year is a huge celebration for our culture so we wanted to help the students here in Hawaii experience this happy occasion and enjoy themselves,” said Meng.
She explained the event was special because it was a campus-wide activity, making it open to not only Chinese people but also everyone including teachers and community members. “Chinese New Year is a time for family gathering, and since we are here in Hawaii where many of us are away from home, we are a family. I feel like it is a huge success and makes us all feel special.”
The event celebrated the Year of the Monkey and offered several Chinese dishes such as mandarin orange salad and silver noodle chicken soup. Members of the China Student Association performed with traditional Chinese musical instruments such as the “erhu,” which is also known as a Chinese violin, and the “sheng,” a Chinese mouth organ.
“Feels a bit like home with a combination of the aloha elements,” said Wai Yan Ng, a junior studying psychology from Hong Kong. “I can really feel the passion for this celebration for Chinese New Year... I’m glad that the campus has provided the opportunity for us to continue this culture here in Hawaii.”
For many students, this was their first time celebrating Chinese New Year. Joshua Andrus, a freshman general education major from Japan, said he has learned to respect the Chinese culture.
“I can tell it’s a huge thing for the Chinese culture because not a lot of other countries’ chapters do this kind of thing. I think it’s good to celebrate other countries’ celebrations, even in Hawaii,” said Andrus.
Josie Luo, an undeclared freshman from China, said she wants different cultures to learn more about Chinese heritage and culture. “I like that others are invited to learn about our culture and to celebrate this wonderful holiday with us.”
Luo will be serving her mission soon in the Indiana Indianapolis Mission and is worried she will not be able to enjoy Chinese food, music and companionship of friends on Chinese New Year while on her mission.
“Celebrating Chinese New Year away from my family is hard and I got really homesick so I don't know what will happen in the mission. However, I’m really happy with all the efforts to help us feel at home and happy here.”