Chinese Studies faculty and students celebrated the Year of the Rat with music, food and performances to promote the Chinese Studies program Friday.
"(The) event is not only a celebration of the Chinese New Year, but also to celebrate the major in Chinese," Wen said.
More than 70 students and faculty attended the traditional ceremony as they brought in the Year of the Rat with traditional decorations, performances and food. The celebration also promoted the Chinese Program’s summer study abroad trip to Beijing.
"(Chinese studies) is very popular at UH….We had 39 students last year," Wen said. "The program is academically rigorous and culturally enriching."
Chinese Studies was officially approved in the fall as a major and now contains 30 students claiming it as a major with 10 set to graduate this spring, Wen said.
This year the study abroad trip will be during the Summer Olympics in Beijing. The trip will take place July 7 through Aug. 10 and the cost is $1,500. An application fee of $50 is due Friday and scholarships are available to students who qualify.
For more information, students should visit www.class.uh.edu/mcl or e-mail Sharon Wen at [email protected].
"The whole Chinese New Year runs on the Lunar system… this year in the 12-year cycle marks the year of the Rat," McArthur said, "Like any culture there are certain foods you eat. Here we have fish because the sound of the word ‘fish’ has the same sound of the word ‘abundant’ in Chinese."
The event also had performances from students in the Chinese Students’ Society, who danced, sang and acted for the crowd.
The event had the traditional Lion Dance, with media production senior Martial Tam and computer engineering senior Christopher Iu under the red and gold costume. Before the end of the performance, the lion also danced to the rap song "Superman" by Soulja Boy.
Public relations senior Jia Hu performed another traditional dance titled the "Butterfly Love Song." The dance symbolized the love story of two star-crossed lovers who transform into butterflies when their passion grows, Wen said.
Economics junior Anthony Tolliver recited an original speech titled "Wo he zhong guo," or "Me and China," in which he described in Chinese his love for the mysterious country. A student band, the Flannels Bland, performed songs to entertain students.
The event ended with Chinese Studies sophomore Marco Marshall and finance junior Reagan McKinney performing a comedy skit poking fun at common Chinese stereotypes. The two students are also members of the Chinese American Language and Culture Organization, in which they encourage Americans to take in native Chinese students so they may learn from one another’s culture, McKinney said.
The ceremony played an important role in further diversifying the University’s student body, and future events are being planned by the Chinese program and Chinese Students’ Society.
