Party features Chinese traditions

By Carolina Astrain

Published Feb. 20, 2007

Despite near-blizzard conditions Friday night, International Programming Committee Senior Chairwoman Lindsay Rapp said turnout for the Chinese New Year celebration was larger than expected.

Mizzou After Dark and the International Programming Committee, which is a subcommittee of the Missouri Students Association's Department of Student Activities, sponsored the event in Memorial Union's Stotler Lounge.

"There was a really good turnout," Rapp said. "Around 700 people showed up. We were expecting about 800 to 900, but we were definitely pleased with the turnout in spite of the weather."

Free food, catered by China Gardens, included fried rice, egg-drop soup and lo mein. The food was completely gone about 45 minutes into the event.

"People from China really appreciate this event because it's one of their only outlets to celebrate their new year and those who come from western backgrounds love learning about the customs and culture," Mizzou After Dark Production Assistant Lauren LaPoint said.

Mizzou After Dark offered craft supplies to attendees, who created parasols, fans, Chinese New Year bracelets, mini-lanterns and calligraphy scrolls.

"Mizzou After Dark has been involved with the Chinese New Year for at least two years, and we hope to make it an annual event for our program," Mizzou After Dark Graduate Assistant Elizabeth Carter said. "We were approached to participate in it by IPC. They came to us because we were scheduled to have an event in the union that night anyway, so we figured it would be great idea to combine our efforts."

Students from the Chinese Student Association and the Association of Malaysian Students contributed to the event by leading informal lessons in calligraphy writing.

"I loved watching my friends putting together their crafts," senior Martha Thompson said. "I'm going to showcase mine to everyone I know."

Graduate student Lilly Ji Li dressed in a sparkling red cheongsam, a traditional close-fitting silk dress worn by Chinese and Indonesian women. She sang "A Merry Festival Waltz" and "Szechwan Love Song: Beautiful Kangding, A Nice City." Following Li's performance, the programming committee showed the Chinese film, "Muk Gong (A Battle of Wits)" about China's civil wars from the fifth to third centuries B.C.

"I think the IPC and Mizzou After Dark did a really good job in organizing the Chinese New Year celebration," Chinese Student Association President Yuhong He said. "People seemed to have a lot fun."