The Chinese New Year, and the Year of the Rooster, officially began on Saturday, Jan. 28, but Lehigh’s celebration began Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Baker Hall of Lehigh’s Zoellner Arts Center.
A $5 entry fee gave attendees a raffle ticket and full access to the evening’s events. Audience members for the Lunar New Year gala filled nearly every seat in Baker Hall.
The event began with a dance featuring an acrobat and two Chinese dragons. Shortly after, the event’s hosts welcomed the crowd in both Chinese and English.
Other acts included a Chinese dance titled “Jasmine Flower,” a rap song called “My Skate Shoes” that was recited in Chinese and a sitcom that received continuous roars of laughter for about 20 minutes.
The sitcom was performed in Chinese, comically demonstrating Chinese military camp training with three girls, two boys and a formally dressed trainer.
Bolun Yang, a student at Temple University in Philadelphia, commuted to Lehigh to attend the event.
“At home (in China), I celebrate the new year with relatives, but here I celebrate with friends, which I like,” Yang said.
Yang said his favorite part of the event was the sitcom.
Other events included a talk show, a hip-hop dance by the Helius Dance Group, a Chinese traditional instrument ensemble, a magic show, two songs and two more sitcoms, all performed by students.
There were also two raffles in which winners received a trip to the Amazon Kingdom and a trip to the U & Tea Restaurant on East Third St.
Shady Younan, ’20, said he does not usually celebrate the Chinese New Year, but he likes the idea of it.
His favorite performance was the opening dance with the two dragons and the boy.
Alyssa Shrestha, ’20, came with a group of friends and said she was attending because her friend was performing in the band, not to celebrate the New Year.
The event lasted about two and a half hours, starting the Year of the Rooster with performances by Lehigh students.
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