Waterloo Region residents were treated to an evening of music, dance and theatrical performances at the Mandarin LunarFest Feb. 15.
The concert, which was held at the Humanities Theatre at the University of Waterloo, was in honour of the Chinese New Year. The occasion was celebrated with traditional Chinese music, traditional dance and modern adaptations of traditional performances.
The Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar in which days, months and years are determined by the circulation of the moon.
Much like how Christmas is celebrated in western cultures, Chinese people celebrate the Chinese New Year with large traditional feasts, friends and family.
The 2007 Mandarin LunarFest was co-hosted by the Mandarin Student Union (MSU), the Taiwanese Student Association (TWSA), and the Chinese Student Alliance of Conestoga (CSAC).
Kuilin Wang, a second-year practical nursing student at Conestoga, and the director of the LunarFest, said he was happy with the night.
“After two months of organizing everything like lighting, sound, background projections and acts, the night turned out beautifully,” said Wang. “Everyone really enjoyed everything.”
Wang, one of the nine representatives from Conestoga involved in the concert, said he was also happy to see people of many different cultures enjoying the evening.
“Having cultural interaction and sharing in one another’s heritage is how we learn,” said Wang. “Events like this melt cultural difficulties.”
Wang, who is also part of CSAC, said it’s important for students of different ethnicities to reach out to their schools and communities for support.
“In our case it was easy to establish a network of support and friendship because school administrations and the entire school community at Conestoga provide a very warm and welcoming atmosphere for us and other international students to adapt to Canadian culture and keep our own heritages at the same time.”
Norm Brandt, a first-year general arts and science student at Conestoga, and an extreme martial artist for Team Raize, said he was approached by members of CSAC to audition for the LunarFest after their performance at Conestoga in January.
“We were absolutely delighted and honoured to be asked to be part of something like the LunarFest,” said Brandt. “We loved the idea of performing at an event celebrating a culture that has had so much influence on what we do.”
Brandt also said getting involved and learning about other cultures should be a mandatory thing.
“I lived in Japan for awhile and the things I learned and experienced can’t be compared to anything else,” he said. “I didn’t realize just how big the world is until I viewed it from a different cultural perspective. I learned more about myself the more I learned about other countries and cultures.”
As far as the LunarFest went, Brandt said the fun and friendly atmosphere of the Chinese New Year carried from the performances to the backstage area.
“There was a strong feeling of family and community with nothing but encouragement from everyone from one performance to the next,” he said. “Everyone was so warm and giving and treated us so well. The whole night was amazing.”
Successful events that involve so many Conestoga students like the LunarFest should give all Conestoga students a sense of pride said Brandt.
“The ability of Conestoga clubs being able to grow to the extent they have in the community just shows that the amount of support Conestoga provides is phenomenal,” he said. “It shows how great our international student program is and that Conestoga is about more than just academics which just adds to being the No. 1 college.”
By ERIC MURPHY