Dressed up in their most formal attire, not an empty seat was in sight when over 200 people gathered in the Fenway Center Feb. 1 for a Lunar New Year gala to wish the community good fortune as the world rings in the Year of the Snake.
The banquet-style event was a result of a combined effort between Northeastern University’s Asian Student Union, or ASU, and the Chinese Student Association, or CSA. Members of the executive boards of each group came together to plan an extravagant night of entertaining performances, cheerful games and elaborate food options.
The performance lineup consisted of a series of impressive acts. Among them was a demonstration from Northeastern’s Taekwondo club team, a traditional Chinese dance performed by the Eon Dance Troupe, a violin and piano duet and other individual performances.
“Seeing people come and enjoy the things we’re working on to provide that sense of home for them is probably the most rewarding part of this,” said Hansen Woolf, a second-year business administration major and a Pan Asian American Council representative. “Without organizations like this, students wouldn’t be able to put on events of this scale and take the time out of their day to embrace this part of their culture.”
The gala also marked the debut of the student rock band, Paper Trail, who kicked off the first of several musical acts that night.
“I think it’s nice to be in a space where we can connect with our culture,” said Angie Yap, a first-year health science major and lead vocalist of Paper Trail. “It’s nice that Northeastern has an event for us to be able to showcase it.”
Attendees found a seat at one of the many round tables set up around the venue. At their seats, they were greeted with small craft activities, like word searches and instructions to make origami paper flowers. Students sat with friends — old and new — to share their love and appreciation for their culture with each other.
Fourth-year economics and business administration combined major Ben Rao, president of the CSA, hadn’t grown up with many other Asian or Chinese kids. He said events like the Lunar New Year Gala are a way to help him feel secure in his identity as he bonded with other Northeastern students that shared his cultural values.
“I didn’t really see anyone who looked like me, celebrated the kinds of things I celebrated or had the same types of family dynamics I had at my house,” Rao said. “Coming here to Northeastern, having such a diverse community with so many different people that I can relate to helped me a lot in making me more comfortable with myself and with who I am.”
Though the Lunar New Year Gala is one of the largest events to celebrate Asian-American culture at Northeastern, it is only one of many events put on by the ASU and CSA to create a welcoming community for students who are not only Asian but students who want to learn and be immersed in the culture.
First-year data science and psychology combined major Janet Liu, a freshman representative of the CSA, said she is grateful to have found an inclusive community at Northeastern where she can celebrate her culture with other students who relate to her experiences.
“I’ll always have a community no matter where I am,” Liu said. “It really makes me feel at home, welcome, and celebrated even though I might not be with my family.”
