The Chinese Student Association held a celebration of their new year Sunday in Alumni Hall, sharing the ancient tradition with PUC students and faculty.

The celebration gave Chinese international students a sense of home, Peter Chou, an adviser for the CSA, said.

"Everyone here is a big community. They come here and perform and have the same feeling they have at home," Chou said.

In China, the Chinese New Year is the longest and most important holiday.

At home, the celebration lasts 15 days and is called the Spring Festival. It starts with the new moon on the first day and ends on the full moon 15 days later.

"The Spring Festival in China is like Christmas here in America - just longer," Aiping Zuo, a sophomore majoring in engineering, said.

The event opened with the CFD Band, a PUC student band, playing Happy New Year while the PUC Chinese Ensemble accompanying them.

The night featured traditional Chinese food, performers from PUC and the Northwest Indiana Chinese School showcasing skits and songs throughout the evening.

A Chinese fashion show featured models who showed off their traditional Chinese attire while dancing to the Shanghai Blues.

Other highlights during the nine-hour event included a comic dialogue called Xiangsheng and Brick Head, a dancing troupe specializing in break-dancing.

Zhong Li, president of the CSA, said the annual event is important because it gives PUC students a chance to view and participate in another culture's traditions.

In attendance at this event was Judith Kaufman, vice chancellor for advancement, who welcomed everyone to the event in Chinese.

From PUC Chronicle:
http://media.www.pucchronicle.com/media/storage/paper1082/news/2008/02/11/News/Its-New.Years.Once.Again-3200805.shtml