Drums echoed throughout the Global Community Center on Thursday as lion dancers performed for students during the LSU Asian Student Union’s Lunar New Year celebration.
The event was open to all and featured food, entertainment and a prize raffle. ASU President An Tra said the event was created with community in mind. “I have gotten in touch with a lot of out-of-state students,” Tra said. “I hope that this event just brings the community together and makes it feel like a piece of home away from home.”
Upon entering, guests were given a raffle ticket and directed to tables before hearing opening words from the ASU and GCC representatives. They were then called table by table to get food before performances began.
Tables full of foods and desserts welcomed guests at the entrance. Red decorations filled the building, creating a festive atmosphere for those in attendance.
The club partnered with local businesses for catering, including King Kong Milk Tea, as well as Japanese snack brand Calbee.
The first performance was done by Tiger Love, the dance team of K-Pop LSU. This was followed by a performance by Southern Lotus Lion Dancers.
After the performances, guests were invited to play Bầu cua cá cọp, a Vietnamese dice game in which players bet on animals appearing on the dice. Those who won were given a currency that would go into the raffle.
Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the year in the lunar calendar, and is celebrated across several Asian cultures. The event is traditionally celebrated with food, games and family gatherings.
The event was planned out as a way to both educate students who may not know much about the Lunar New Year, and to allow a way for those who already celebrate to come together as a community with their fellow students.
ASU Event Leader Alina Insyxiengmay spoke on the chance to teach others about the holiday through the event.
“We’re glad to share Asian culture,” Insyxiengmay said. “I hope everyone learns something new tonight and shares memories with a lot of people.”
According to Tra, the idea was a collective effort from club members. As Lunar New Year is celebrated across many Asian cultures, the club combined it into one big celebration.
This event was the second of its kind hosted by the ASU, but the first in partnership with the GCC. According to Kaitlyn Hearty, GCC’s international student engagement coordinator, the ASU was the obvious choice of partners when it came to celebrating Lunar New Year.
Hearty said that around 140 guests had come before the performance, with more likely to show up as the event went on. As the time passed, the event hall grew louder with the sound of people coming together to celebrate the new year as a community.
“We love doing cultural nights to bring different cultures to LSU’s campus,” Hearty said. “We love sharing community with students.”
