Students celebrate Lunar New Year

The sounds of song and dance and the smell of traditional food drifted from the Trojan Center Ballrooms last Thursday as many students and faculty enjoyed a Lunar New Year Celebration. Students and faculty alike gathered to celebrate the Lunar New Year, which took place on Feb. 17.  

The Lunar New Year is a special time marking new beginnings, filled with tradition, festivals, food and time well spent with family and friends. 2026 is the Year of the Horse, bringing an end to 2025’s Year of the Snake. The Year of the Horse is said to be full of energy, freedom, and forward momentum, according to Asia Society Texas.  

Yicheng Huang, a junior finance major from China and emcee of the event said Lunar New Year is simply a fresh start.  

“(Lunar New Year) is from the Chinese zodiac,” Huang said. “It means a new year for Chinese people, 2025 to 2026 is a brand-new start for us, similar to the American New Year. 

“In China, all the family members get together and have a big dinner together. No matter how far apart we are, we all come back.” 

Huang introduced all the acts throughout the night and provided background information about the performances. He said he just wanted to help everyone enjoy the event.  

After opening remarks from the emcees, Dean of International Student Services Maria Frigge and Senior Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Sohail Agboatwala, the night of festivities began with a traditional lion dance. 

The night consisted of a variety of song and dance, including a vocal solo of  “Only You, Always” from Ziqi Yu, a group K-Pop dance to the song “Do the Dance” and another to “Ditto,” Chinese style piano performance from Hong Ton and Anh Thao Hoang and a Cantonese duet of “Hei Fun Nei” from Lanying Hoang and Yixuan Wei.   

These performances were not strictly Chinese, but included Korean, Vietnamese and other cultures. After the performances ended, guests were encouraged to partake in the feast provided.  

Lanying Huang, a coordinator of international admissions, said she wanted to perform to share a piece of her culture.  

“I participated in this event to share a piece of Chinese culture with others,” Huang said. “That’s how we bring all of us together as an internationally diverse university. 

“We love to see people come together, even though we may not know each other. That’s just how our culture is.” 

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