Skyline College’s Fireside Dining Room was met with vibrant Lunar New Year festivities on February 21, 2024 with a series of interactive activities and tabling. The Year of the Dragon kicked off on February 10, and Lunar New Year celebrations typically last for 15 days. The event, hosted by the Associated Students of Skyline College (ASSC) in collaboration with the Chinese Student Scholars Association (CSSA) and the International Student Club (ISC), saw numerous students and faculty try out traditional Chinese calligraphy and papercrafting, and engage in activities like the chopstick competition, while enjoying festive snacks and drinks.
The student senators of ASSC started the event with free boba drinks, first come first serve, as Mowen Tan, President of CSSA, welcomed all the students and faculty by introducing each of the tables that were present. For those interested in exploring written Chinese characters, CSSA’s table provided a calligraphy experience, complete with paper and tools, where participants could try their hand at this traditional art form. CSSA also hosted a fun and friendly chopsticks competition, where contestants competed to transfer the highest number of marshmallows between two plates using only chopsticks. Another popular attraction was ISC’s paper crafting stations, offering participants a choice between crafting traditional paper lanterns or festive paper firecrackers complete with confetti. While the paper lanterns held its own charm, the firecrackers drew more enthusiasm from the crowd eager to unleash a burst of color.
The celebrations were also joined by the Skyline College Bookstore who were promoting the new and elegantly designed Lunar New Year hoodies and sweaters, those of which were proudly donned by the other club representatives. The hoodies were also given away as a prize for the chopsticks competition winners. The Study Abroad program also joined in on the festivities with their “Wheel of Fortune” table that brought in exciting prizes, while highlighting their upcoming study abroad opportunities for anyone interested in learning more. Later in the event, Dr. Newin Orante, Acting President of Skyline College, made an appearance as he went around the tables to give warm greetings alongside other faculty members.
The International Student Program is part of the Global Learning Programs and Services Division. ISP will continue to provide services and programs for international students and the entire Skyline College community. If you want to learn more about future ISP programs and events, contact the ISP office at skyinternational@smccd.edu.
Article by Zwe Mann Kyaw | Photos by Yesika Wong-Sanchez
