Terraka Garner
Staff Writer
Idaho State University’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) will be honoring the Chinese New Year, the year of the ram, by hosting “Chinese Night.”
The event will take place on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, at 6:30 p.m. in the Pond Student Union Building Ballroom.
The annual event gives students from the CSSA a chance to display their knowledge of Chinese traditions as well as to provide outsiders a taste of Chinese culture and life.
Students are encouraged to wear Chinese clothing if they own any.
This year, members of CSSA will be performing a Chinese-style dance called “The Lion Dance,” along with some other dances pertaining to the Chinese culture. This will be partnered with traditional instruments being played in the background.
“We aren’t professionals so we don’t know the dance the best,” said club president Xiangwei He. “We try our best to show it.”
All participants in the event are volunteers who, according to He, want to generate diversity and bring students together.
The club’s goal is “to share [their] culture [with] the Idaho State communities, and build a communication bridge between Chinese and local community.”
Tickets are currently available through Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Rendezvous and in the Pond Student Union Building.
Tickets may also be purchased at the door.
Tickets are $7 for students, $9 for staff and $10 for the public. Children with an adult are welcome and children under age five are free.
The club is also running a special for Valentine’s Day. The special will allow couples that attend to receive $2 off tickets.
He said the tickets are worthy of keeping because they represent Chinese culture and exhibit “kind of a wish to [people for] the New Year.”
“The Chinese Calendar has only 360 days so the Chinese New Year changes every year,” said He. “This year it’s [Feb. 19,] so we chose the nearest Saturday to that date.”
The club will also be providing and preparing Chinese food for every guest, including something special for the first people who arrive at the event.
This year is the year of the ram according to the Chinese zodiac, otherwise known as Sheng Xiao.
China’s astrological signs are based on a 12-year cycle with an alternation of animals each year. This includes the year of the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
Each animal has an underlying meaning.
In Chinese culture the ram represents a caring and creative person who aims to help others. A person with the sign of the ram is said to be loving and romantic. He or she is commonly said to go to extremes just to salvage good relationships.
“We wish that everyone [would] come here to have a good healthy next year, or maybe to show love,” said He.
