On Feb. 17, students gathered in room 156A of the Academic Science Building to ring in the Lunar New Year with Lewis’ Asian American Association (AAA). As the event kicked off at 3 p.m., attendees were met with the mouth-watering scent of Bonchon Korean fried chicken, fries and lumpia, courtesy of popular demand. The selection of dishes showed to be quite popular, seeing as the food supply quickly depleted within the next hour.
This came as no surprise to junior nursing major Nazh Macalandong, Cultural Chair of the AAA. “These events are usually pretty well attended. I’d say on average, we get at least 15 people per event, especially catered events,” he remarked eagerly. Ultimately, the event’s popularity brought him great satisfaction because it allowed him to share his “love of Asian culture.”
The festivities weren’t just limited to the tasty cuisine; students across the classroom indulged in the art of painting paper lanterns as they munched on bites of Bonchon food. Students were able to choose from two different sizes of lanterns and many different colors of acrylic paint, which allowed for practically endless creative possibilities. Some took to inscribing positive affirmations on their lanterns, while others filled theirs with flourishing flowers evocative of spring.
Each event attendee also received a vibrant red pouch complete with golden Chinese lettering and blossom artwork. Inside of each pouch resided several small Chinese hard candies for students to consume in wake of the Lunar New Year.
Ultimately, many found the event to be an enjoyable celebration of Asian culture as well as the Lunar New Year. Those interested in further AAA endeavors should be sure to stop by the AAA Matcha Sale on Feb. 25 in the main Academic Science Building hallway, where Macalandong said he will be “dressing up very performatively” for potential drink buyers.
