On Saturday, Jan. 28, Lawrence University hosted a Lunar New Year celebration. The event was sponsored by the Chinese Student Association (CSA); the Korean Culture Club (KCC); Lawrence International (LI); the Pan-Asian Organization (PAO); the Vietnamese Culture Organization (VCO); the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life; the Diversity and Intercultural Center (D&IC); Lawrence University Community Council (LUCC); the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; International Student Services (ISS) and the Committee on Diversity Affairs (CODA).
The Event Coordinator for PAO, sophomore Isabel Dorn, said that groups started planning this event in September. This year, she said, many more university offices and groups pitched in to make the event possible.
The event featured a variety of different performances and presentations. The event began with a land acknowledgment from senior Mahina Olores from Lawrence University Native Americans (LUNA). The first event of the night was a cultural presentation by CSA about Lunar New Year in China, which was followed by a musical performance from the Lawrence-based band Fusion. This was followed by a presentation by VCO about Lunar New Year in Vietnam. This was followed by a performance by the Seven Star Lion Dance Group, a Chicago-based Chinese-American dance group, who gave a second performance at the end of the event. KCC did a presentation about Lunar New Year in Korea, which was followed by another performance by Fusion and closed with the dance performance. After the event, there was a cultural exposition and dinner hosted in the Somerset room.
Dorn explained that each club has a different connection with the Lunar New Year and this collaborative event is held to try and honor them all.