Issue date: 2/21/07 Section: News

Daniel Bates - THE BATTALION Members of the Lee's Golden Dragon dance troupe march from the Academic Plaza to Sbisa Dining Hall for the Chinese New Year celebration Tuesday night.

Sunday marked the beginning of a new year - the year 4705, according to the lunar calendar used by many Asian cultures.

To celebrate this event, the Institute for Pacific Asia joined forces with the Chinese Students and Scholars Association and Dining Services to sponsor the first Chinese New Year Festival Dinner on Tuesday night.

The evening kicked off with a Lion Dance, which led students from the Sul Ross statue into Sbisa Dining Hall. The Lion Dance represents an integral part of Chinese culture, and represents luck.

Over the course of the evening, more than 1,200 students filed through Sbisa. In addition to the dance, there were many classic Asian dishes served, including soy roasted chicken and cashews, fried rice and sautéed abalone noodles.

"The Chinese New Year is really about bringing family and friends together," said Gary Arthur, senior executive chef, who helped orchestrate the evening. "When you look at the demographics, there is a huge population of Asian-Americans at Texas A&M, and we think it's a terrific opportunity not just for them, but for them to show their culture to us."

Traditionally, Chinese New Year celebrations last 15 days, Arthur said.

"Considering that this was our first year, we wanted to err on the cautious side, and decided to keep it small," said Carmen Suen, program coordinator for the Institute of Pacific Asia. "Eventually, I think it would be great if we could stretch the event out over a week."

Due to the success of the event this year, there are already plans being made to make the event bigger next year, Arthur said. However, he said the menu might be slightly different.

"This year, we did offer some American food," Arthur said. "Based on how the students have reacted though, we think we're going to transition over into only Chinese dishes."

Daniel Oliphant, a sophomore general studies major, had not heard about the event, but showed up to Sbisa to eat. When he found out what was going on, he decided to try some of the Asian dishes.

"Whenever trying new food, it's always safer to assume the worst," Oliphant said. "Tonight was definitely an exception though. The food was great, and I think it really opened up my eyes."

Sbisa was adorned with red and gold decorations, which are both very important in Chinese culture. Red is the color of good luck, and gold is the color of wealth. During Chinese New Year celebrations, family members, friends and employees often give each other red envelopes with money in them.

Although gift-giving is important, this celebration ultimately remains a social one.

"This is really about family," Arthur said. "Here at A&M, we are a family, and I can think of no greater way to spread that spirit."

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools