By Miranda Raines
Video by Colton Rowe
On the evening of Jan. 22, The McMahon Centennial Complex Ballroom doors were open for Asian Night, a celebration of Asian Culture and the Chinese New Year.
Cameron University’s Asian Club hosted the event, providing different Asian countries and cultures a night of appreciation and ringing in the Chinese New Year. Prezell Duckett, a junior Music major and CU Asian Club President, appreciated the variety of entertainment present at the event.
“There were many performances featuring some of the music majors here at Cameron,” Duckett said. “We had Nepalese dancing and belly dancing, culture-related games and the event featured a demonstration from the South West Institute of Martial Arts. Poem readings from some of the English Department students were featured; free henna tattoos and a bunch of food were also available.”
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/36458094[/vimeo]Associate Professor and Access Services Librarian, Wensheng Wang, is the current adviser of The Asian Club. Wang described the significance of the Chinese New Year and some of the traditions associated.
“In China the New Year is the biggest festival of the year that is celebrated throughout East Asia as well,” he said. “The celebration is like the Western Christmas or a family reunion. The young paying visits to elders and sitting around tables full of rich meals are among many traditions celebrated during the Lunar New Year. A rich feast is a must on New Year’s.”
Wang went further to explain the significance of the year, which began on Jan. 23. There are 12 animals in the Chinese calendar, each one cycling and representing a year. The animals embody different characteristics, and these characteristics help to predict what type of year it will be. 2012 brings the Year of the Dragon.
The Asian Club recruited the aid of Dr. Yanjun Zhao, Assistant Professor of Communications, with planning and decorating the event.
Dr. Zhao said that the event had been planned for five months prior to the event, and the number of people present provided a great feeling for everyone. The even was such as success they even ran short on food.
Mr. Wang agreed that the Asian Night was a success.
Mr. Wang said. “Everyone did a very good job. The number of participants also reached our expectations.”