On Sunday, Feb. 12, the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) hosted its annual Lantern Festival Banquet to celebrate the traditional Chinese festival. While the Cleveland weather was less than accommodating, over 300 guests attended the event. Every year around the time of Chinese Lunar New Year, CSSA plays host to welcome in the new year. This year was no different. The three-hour event included dinner, performances, and prize drawings.

To prepare for this large event, CSSA members began working on the banquet over a month in advance. Han Hui Ren, the group’s public relations officer, described the preparation process: “This year, we wanted to explore all the possible options that we think would make this year’s event one of the best we have ever done. We went through various candidates to find the right performances that would both entertain the guests and make the night memorable.”

This year’s banquet included a mixed of traditional Chinese performances and modern Chinese music. On Feb. 1, beginning at 6 p.m. and continuing into the late hours of the night, over 50 club members helped prepare for the event. Han Hui added, “I was amazed at the dedication shown by our club members. These students took the time out of their hectic schedules to come and help prepare for the event.”

One member who volunteered was Zihao (Prince) Wang, who was the host for the night and is also president of the International Club. “Personally, I believe this event is great for the [CWRU] community. Not only does this event further exemplify the overwhelming diversity we have here, it is also a great opportunity to celebrate the traditions of Chinese New Year,” he explained.

Wang and his co-host, first-year student Jessie Peng, led the show. Their witty exchanges brought laughter to the audience over and over throughout the night. “It was an honor to be the host for the night,” said Wang.

The event commenced at 5:30 p.m. with various Chinese exhibitions in the Thwing Center atrium. This gave guests the opportunity to view some Chinese artwork on display, practice using chopsticks, and test their Chinese cheese skills. The Thwing Ballroom doors opened at 6 p.m. to a line of waiting guests. Visitors spent the first hour interacting with other guests while enjoying homemade Chinese food.

CSSA director Ying Chen said, “We want people to enjoy the dinner as if they are eating Thanksgiving dinner at home. We were hoping that by having the guests sit anywhere they want and interact with other guests, it creates a home-like atmosphere.”

The first performance of the night was by the Cleveland Chinese Music Ensemble featuring vocalist Xue “Snow” Yu of Qingdao, Shandong, China. After the 30-minute performance, the Kwan Lion Dance troupe performed the traditional Chinese Lion Dance. Said Han Hui, “I know many Chinese and Taiwanese students have seen [the] lion dance performance back in their home countries, [and] we want bring the same extraordinary yet entertaining excitement to [CWRU]. And tonight, I felt we accomplished that goal.”

Midway through the performance, CSSA took the time to reward their guests with the first of two raffle drawings. Ten lucky individuals were presented with watches valued at $80. According to Chen, “We want to give back to our guests. We wanted our guests to walk away with a memorable night and, for some lucky few, maybe a prize or two.”

Peng and Wang stole the spotlight as they presented the gifts to the winners. When asked about the drawings, Wang responded, “I was nervous to say the least. Everything before that had a script to go with it, but when it comes to the drawing, I was scared that I may read the numbers wrong. Good thing that everything went better than expected.”

The second half of the night saw performances by three of CWRU’s first-year students. Sue Tao performed a tai chi dance, incorporating tai chi with modern dance moves to create a performance like no other.

This was followed by a solo vocal performance by the hostess of the night, Peng. As Wang put it, “What she did was truly amazing, and I’m glad singing is not a requirement for all hosts because I would never have pulled that off.”

Last but not least, Jacob Wang came on with a solo vocal performance. He kicked the night into high gear, rocking a pair of sunglasses and leather jacket.

Prior to the second raffle drawing, CSSA showed a video directed and edited by Xuhui (Terry) Chen. The video paid tribute to international students studying at the university. It included a voice-over by sophomore Chen Zheng, interviews with various Chinese students of different years, and touching images of Cleveland.

As Han Hui noted, “We want to show that, while most of the students here tonight are Chinese and are studying away from home, Cleveland and [CWRU] are also their home. Since we are here and pursuing similar goals and attributes in life, why not make the most of it. I truly hope this video would help make the students feel more at home here.”

The night ended with a final prize drawing, for a three-day, two-night trip to California. The final performance was a group song by CSSA members.

When asked about the importance of the event, Ying Chen said, “I think this is a wonderful experience. Not only are we celebrating the Year of the Dragon, we also want the Chinese students here to feel at home and also give the American students a glimpse into the culture and customs of [China].”

“I believe what CSSA has done tonight […] truly exemplif[ies] the diverse and rich cultures we are so blessed to have at CWRU,” said Wang. “We are not only here to study various subjects and [gain] knowledge, we are also here to understand and explore the different aspects of this world that we often miss. I am really glad that [the university] puts so much emphasis on cultural diversity, and I am extremely delighted to be part of it.”

sources:http://www.cwruobserver.com/news/chinese-scholars-welcome-year-of-the-dragon-with-a-roar-1.2785496#.T0KGvHl4Sn0



致每一位支持我们理解我们的朋友：

准备了近四个月的元宵晚会，终于在上周日落下了帷幕。希望到场的每一位同学和热心的志愿者们能喜欢这场我们CSSA尽全力的打造的饕餮盛宴。

在这里我们CSSA向大家发自内心的说一声感谢。

感谢大家这一年来对我们的支持帮助与理解。

感谢在新生到来时，有车的同学伸出援手，让第一次踏上美国土地的同学们感受都如同家一般的温暖。

感谢在新生BBQ的时，踊跃报名的志愿者，让大家在伊利湖畔度过了快乐的美好时光。

感谢这一次元宵晚会，每一位工作人员，志愿者，表演人员，你们的精心准备，让海外学子可以一起共度一个令人难忘的元宵佳节。

或许，你会说，我没有当过志愿者，也没有去接机，只是参与了活动。我们依旧向你表达最深的谢意。

因为CSSA的每一次活动，都是为了让参与进来的同学感到快乐，在异国他乡感到归属感。你的到来，你的参与，你的笑脸，对于我们来说是最珍贵的。

在大家的记忆还有余温的时候，咱们一起来回顾一下这次元宵晚会吧。

一楼文化展最热闹的花灯展台。不知道大家有没有都来写心愿呢？

开场前的晚餐时间。从高处看，还真是热闹呢。

富有浓厚中国文化气息的舞狮表演。不知道有多少人在小朋友被吓哭的时候偷偷笑起来。

一首老男孩，唤起了大家多少记忆？不知道有多久没有与旧时好友相聚了吧。

这段戳中大家泪点的视频相信大家在晚会后也有重新看过吧。没有看到的同学的在这里看一下吧。

因为爱情。给你一张过去的CD听听那时我们的爱情。

相亲相爱的一家人。CSSA大合唱。

就像歌词中说的一样，因为我们是一家人，相亲相爱的一家人。元宵晚会的落幕对于我们是这一年的一个新起点。希望看到这篇日志的所有朋友能够一如既往的支持我们理解我们。我们会虚心接受大家的意见和建议，把我们CSSA办的更好。

谢谢大家！

–爱你们的CSSA全体成员

2012-Jan

Have Fun!

祝大家新年快乐！