International Student Center hosts first ever Lunar New Year celebration

The International Student Center hosted its first ever Lunar New Year celebration, ringing in the year of the pig with traditional Asian foods and trivia games. 

As students gathered in the ISC Feb. 5, the sound of music and the smell of dumplings and spring rolls filled the room. Flags of different countries lined the tables as decorations, along with several other traditional items from countries, including China, Korea and Vietnam. 

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, is celebrated mostly in Asian countries. It marks the beginning of the year in the lunar calendar. For people from China, South Korea and Vietnam, this is one of the most celebrated holidays. 

Lydia Poindexter | Liberty Champion
CUlture — The ISC celebrated the Lunar New Year Feb. 5.

“All the family gets together, (it) is family time,” Jenny Kim, a student from Korea, said. “I really miss my family in days like special holidays. We celebrate Lunar New Year more than Christmas.”

The attendants of the event tested their knowledge about the Lunar New Year during different rounds of trivia played on KaHoot, an interactive game played from a smart phone. Mahjong, a traditional Chinese board game, was also set out for students to enjoy.

“It is definitely one of the most intriguing, intricate and most (detailed) New Year’s I have ever seen,” Nicolas Londoño, an international student from Colombia, said. “I definitely think it is a really important cultural exchange.” 

For student Lykeang Chim, an international student from Cambodia, having the space to share the culture helps him create a sense of belonging.   

“I feel included, … even though I am in the United States,” Chim said. “I still have a place where I can at least celebrate Chinese New Year.” 

Although Chim said he misses playing with his cousins and seeing his family, he understands that this holiday is about family and being with one another. He said he appreciates that even though he is far from home, he is accepted and welcomed by the community. He also wants to remind people to call their relatives and enjoy their closeness, especially on special days. 

“I mean I still feel like home because you guys have remembered me (and) my culture,” Chim said.  

Tunya Pannell, operations coordinator for the International Student Center, said the center puts on several different open houses each semester for international and domestic students to experience. 

“We put on our open houses for our international students so they have the opportunity to share about their culture and cuisine not only with other international students, but (also) with the Liberty community,” Pannell said.

Through the open houses, students receive a glimpse of what life looks like within that culture, whether it be through the food, presentations or the activities provided.

“It’s important for the students to be connected, and this place offers the best way to do that,” PJ Schwartz, a retention specialist for the ISC, said. 

Lydia Poindexter | Liberty Champion
TASTY — Food from countries that celebrate Lunar New Year were available for students to sample.

Inside the center, when there are not open houses going on, international students can expect to feel at home in this welcoming room. Throughout the space, there are several decorations and objects that international students have brought from their home country to bring familiarity to their surroundings. 

“It is like a home away from home for our international students here,” Pannell said. “It’s a place where they come in and get to know each other and get to know other students from their countries.” 

Two of the ISC’s biggest events are happening during Global Focus Week. These are the Taste of Nations and the Parade of Nations. The ISC is expecting to see about 2,500 people come for the Taste of Nations to experience foods from 23 different countries prepared by students from those countries.

According to Pannell, the Parade of Nations has been happening since the beginning of the ISC, which was started by Dr. C. Daniel Kim in 2004. 

The ISC also plans to host several activities during Spring Break, which are open to all students to attend. These activities include bowling, indoor soccer and a movie night. 

“We invite everybody, because we have a lot of domestic students who want to get to know more about our international students, so they attend our events as well,” Pannell said. 

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