Eastern Michigan University’s fifth Chinese Week kicks off Sunday with their annual gala performance. The gala will be from 5-6:30 p.m. in the Student Center Auditorium, with a reception following. This year, Susan Martin will be the keynote speaker for the event of traditional Chinese music and dance.
In addition to Martin’s speech, the gala will include performances by locally-based Chinese music and dance groups. In addition, students from Chinese classes and the department of music will be featured.
The gala, Mandarin Professor Yen-ling von Meister said, will open eyes, that it “will give people not just entertainment, the audience will have a light taste of the Chinese history.”
The Chinese Week events are put on by the Mei Hua Tong Xue Hui, the American Chinese Student Association. This organization started in the winter of 2007, and has been hosting Chinese Week events ever since.
“I noticed there should be a platform for the Chinese culture,” Meister said about coming to Eastern that year. “I’m very proud we have been able to do it continuously.”
The group has grown to include a calligraphy group, whose students will have pieces on display in Halle Library.
Meister is optimistic about this year’s Chinese week: “We’re getting better and better recognition…. This is going to be an event attended by the EMU community and the greater community.”
Last year’s gala had a large attendance from the outside community, and Mesiter anticipates a similar turnout due to collaboration and outreach. She likes that the events showcase many EMU students “I’m really pleased because EMU has many talents, many hidden talents.”
In addition to the gala, Chinese Week will feature an array of events ranging from education to fun. Monday there will be a lecture on Chinese gift giving and relationships from 4-6 p.m. in the Student center.
Tuesday there will be a demonstration and instruction in Chinese martial arts, also in the Student Center, where students will get the opportunity to “try a few moves with these masters,” Meister said.
Wednesday features another lecture, this time on tourism and the Miao, one of China’s minority groups. The speaker is Professor Xianghong Feng of EMU’s anthropology department. The talk will focus on the effects of handicrafts and the effects of local and national economy. Afterward, there will be a lesson on brush painting in the Walton-Putnam Lounge from 6-8 p.m.
Other events include Chinese New Year’s games, so that students can “learn what Chinese people play,” said Meister. Karaoke and the presentation of the Chinese film, “The women, the gun and the Noodle Shop” will all be included.
“The whole point is to let the students realize you don’t have to be Chinese to do things Chinese,” Meister said.
Chinese Week is sponsored by organizations including Campus Life, the EMU Student Center, the Center of Multicultural Affairs, the center for Diversity and Community Involvement, the Office of International Students, EMU International Students Association and private donors.
More about the organization and this year’s events can be found at www.acs-association.blogspot.com.
