Guest post by Zhenzhen Zheng and Yizhu Gai
Chinese New Year Banquet and Show
On February 8, 2019, Missouri State held its 2019 Chinese New Year Banquet and Show. Organized by Missouri State’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA), this year’s event saw roughly 600 Chinese students and scholars, school staff, and locals from the community in attendance.
Counselor Chen Yinghui and Deputy Consul Liu Jiaming of the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago and Provost Dr. Frank Einhellig, Vice President Dr. Jim Baker, Vice President Dr. Dee Siscoe and Assistant Vice President Brad Bodenhausen of Missouri State were invited to attend the event.
Chinese and Americans alike were garbed in traditional Chinese clothing, a sea of red from wall to wall. There were a variety of dazzling acts, twelve in total, ranging from dance to song, from martial arts to interactive activities. There were the floating, traditional sounds, and sights of Guzheng and ethnic dance, and the more modern, more vigorous, more youthful grooves of contemporary dance and rock band vibes. The crowd waved glowsticks and phone flashlights to the beat of the music, filling the dark surroundings with starlight glitter, the frenzied energy of flashing lights and twisting colors giving new and exciting significance to the New Year.
Chinese New Year Celebration Week
From February 13-16, 2019, Missouri State’s China Programs Office and Modern and Classical Language Department collaborated to host the 2019 Chinese New Year Celebration Week.
The activity aims to promote Chinese culture and contribute diversity to the local community. There are a variety of activities, including: