TUESDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2016
Vietnamese American Student Association hosts Tet Lunar New Year event at MSU
INSIDE NEWS:
ASHLEIGH BAGSHAW Staff Writer Minnesota State University, Mankato, currently hosts more than 900 international students from over 90 different nations. With the importance of international students to MSU, it’s no surprise that with them comes a wide range of unique cultural celebrations which take place throughout the year. One example is the annual Tet Lunar New Year, which was recently hosted by the Vietnamese American Student Association on Saturday, Jan. 30. This event, properly named Tet Nguyên Đán, constitutes an important celebration in Vietnamese culture, and translates to “Feast of the First Morning of the First Day.” The festival itself is a celebration of the New Year and the arrival of spring, and works in accordance with the Vietnamese lunisolar calendar. According to Vietnamese tradition, this day will determine what happens throughout the rest of the year, and
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SPORTS: (CC BY-SA 2.0) by IQRemix these celebrations thus act both to invite good luck and to ward off evil spirits. Those who attended the MSU variation of this fantastic holiday were treated to an exciting variety of traditional performances, including the Lion Dance or Mua Lan. The Lan, an animal which is a combination of a lion and a dragon, represents strength in the Vietnamese culture, and is used to frighten away the evil spirits. The event also included delicious Vietnamese food and the traditional custom of giving lucky money, or li xi. While this event is hosted
by the Vietnamese Association, the event is not just for Vietnamese students. In fact, students from other cultures are strongly encouraged to attend and learn more about this magnificent culture. One student who was drawn to attend was Hyejoo Kang, a Korean student who wanted to learn about how the lunar festival is celebrated in Vietnam and to find out “how their tradition is different from the Korean New Year.” Of the whole event she said that there were many highlights, although she particularly loved the Vietnam-
Zine issues call for submissions Do you have a piece of artwork or writing that centers on the experience of growing up? Let your voice be heard! The Women’s Center is now accepting submissions for their Spring Zine publication, which is centered on the theme “Coming of Age.” The Women’s Center Zine offers students a chance to showcase their original creative work on topics regarding some of the most personal human experiences. Submissions are being sought in a variety of categories including art, poetry, personal essays, and short stories—the only require-
ment is that the pieces be focused on the idea of “Coming of Age.” All submissions are due by April 1, 2016 and free copies will be available in the Women’s Center starting April 25. Please submit written content to WCZineMNSU@gmail.com and bring any artwork to the Women’s Center, located at Centennial Student Union 218. “A coming of age story is all about a person’s journey from being a child to being an adult. It is a journey that takes a young person from naïve to wise, from idealist to realist, and from immature to mature,” wrote Elise
Pawlak in the call for submissions. For more information, contact Women’s Center Zine Editors, Elise Pawlak or Haley Severson at 507-3896146. The Women’s Center offers a wide variety of support services including but not limited to sexual violence; abuse, harassment and discrimination resource and referral; understanding and ending oppression; personal growth; healthy relationships; eating issues and body image; self esteem; assertiveness; and many other personal, political, and social concerns.
ese custom where seven girls dance with traditional hats. She described the overall experience as “very beautiful” and is keen to attend again next year. Hyejoo believes these events provide the perfect opportunity for students to “experience another culture without actually going to that country.” The only improvement that could have been made to this fantastic night would have been a greater attendance rate amongst students. However, it is evident that this is perhaps the result of international events not getting the publicity they deserve, with many students only becoming aware of such events through word of mouth. Thus, it is largely up to students to be proactive in keeping an eye up for these exciting opportunities. Students can also learn more about different cultures through the various other events that occur throughout the year, including the Middle Eastern Night, which will be coming up on Feb. 14, and Africa Night, which is happening on the March 21. As for students who missed the lunar festival this year, the Vietnamese American Student Association is always looking for more students to get involved. So think about coming out and celebrating next year, you won’t regret it!
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INDEX: EDITORIAL...............4 SPORTS....................7 A&E...........................10
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