Chinese New Year Celebration organized by the Department of Language and Cultures, Faculty of Arts, KPU (Jan 24, 2020)
Melodious Chinese music and mouth-watering aromas of Chinese cuisine wafted from the Conference Room at Richmond campus on Thursday afternoon, Jan 23, 2020. What was going on there was the Chinese New Year Celebration sponsored and organized by the Department of Language and Cultures (LANC), Faculty of Arts. This was the first event of its kind at KPU, attended also by the Acupuncture Program from the Faculty of Health, History Department, KPU International, and Maple Leaf Education. Attracting about 100 participants, this was primarily a student-led event, featuring energetic modern dances and traditional performances, which were complemented by exquisite catering, technical support, and humorous MC presentations all provided by students.
Dr. Wade Deisman, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts, spoke at the event, bringing warm holiday greetings from the Arts’ Dean’s Office. In his speech, Dr. Yanfeng Qu, Chair of the LANC Department, quizzed the audience about the alleged characteristics of those who were born in the Year of the Rat, the first animal in the Chinese Zodiac Cycle. He claimed to also be born in the Year of the Rat, only as far as his working life at KPU was concerned. Chinese tea tasting ceremonies, Chinese chess games, Chinese idiom riddles, red packets, and calligraphy demonstrations all contributed to a highly educational and entertaining time enjoyed by everyone present, students and staff alike. The festivities concluded with a surprise session of karaoke led by Dr. Qu and Ms. Linda Qiao, the other Mandarin instructor and “Operational Manager” of this fun event.
