Crawford Hall and the Space in the Ehinger Center were the main sites of celebration on Feb. 20 in celebration of Asian Student Union’s Lunar New Year event.
The event started off with a presentation in Crawford Hall by ASU board members on the importance of this event and how many years it was in the making. Talking with the Chief Financial Officer of ASU, Victoria Mae Keelan (‘27), showed the amount of time and effort that went into this event.
“We have never done such a large-scale event in the history of our club. We always hope that our events are big, but this one we fully anticipated and prepared for,” said Keelan.
This preparation was palpable from the trays of food that were ready to be served in Crawford Hall to the many activities that were already prepared in the Space. Activities such as crafting DIY lanterns and painting fans and banners were spread out throughout tables.
Materials like paint and Chinese letterings that signify good luck in the new year were all provided. There were also games set up in the 1867 Lounge.
“We started planning for this last semester, and we expanded our board by four people just to have enough manpower, interest and outreach. Our meetings regularly became more than five hours during multiple days of the week to ensure that the headache for our club and by extension our collaborators was kept to a minimum,” said Keelan.
The preparation along with the outreach and manpower was apparent when hours and even days before the event many volunteers and club members were seen setting up decorations and activities in preparation. They set up every single decoration, table and activity throughout the days.
These efforts came to fruition when the event became packed with faculty, students and many people from outside the Drew community as well. One notable person who came from outside of the Drew community to celebrate was the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in New York.
A faculty member who spoke at the event gave a comment on the importance of community and connection shown at an event like this. She also showed why it is vital for both people within different groups and cultures along with people within these cultures that are celebrated to show up to this occasion.
“As an international scholar from Asia, specifically from India, it felt like an extraordinary experience to attend the Lunar New Year celebration at Drew. While it had a particular feeling of home for those within our Drew community who celebrate, for us all, it was a remarkable witnessing of amazing food, music, dancing and culture that contribute to creating a meaningful community on campus. We are extremely grateful to the organizers for an unforgettable evening for us all,” said Jinee Lokaneeta, Associate Dean of Curriculum and Professor of political science and international relations.
After student and faculty speeches, students were then served by ASU members and volunteers a wide variety of traditional foods, desserts and drinks, along with being guided through the several activities and events with a provided itinerary.
Along with the already prepared activities in the Space and 1867 Lounge, there were interactive events throughout the evening that took place in Crawford Hall. Several dance performances were performed by students, one being a breakdancing piece and the other being a tap routine. A cover of the classic Filipino song, “Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko” by Rey Valera was sung.
The person who sang this rendition had some thoughts about this event and the community it attracted.
“I’m so grateful for all the people who came out in celebration of culture and community, and ASU looks forward to putting on more events to share our culture and community,” said Aly
Maglaqui (‘28).
The feeling of community and culture became even more exemplified when a lion dance was performed to bring luck and good fortune to the people in attendance of the event. The lions danced around the room and swung banners for the new year, while a man in a mask representing chinese monk buddha messed with the lions along with taking swigs from his jug.
Other activities included a Filipino line dance that was taught to audience members along with prizes raffled off through a Kahoot game. One of the winners of this Kahoot game, which was based on knowledge of Lunar New Year and different cultures in Asia in general, had some thoughts.
“I definitely learned a lot of things about different Asian cultures from the Kahoot, and the entire event made me feel more connected to my community and different Asian communities at Drew which I’m very thankful for,” said Jiawei Hu (‘27).
The event concluded shortly after this Kahoot, many people going home with prizes and food and a sense of family, comfort and a newfound knowledge of different cultures.
Kayla Kiernan is a sophomore majoring in English writing and communications and political science, minoring in Spanish and Italian.
