Six UA student organizations hosted the Year of the Snake Gala 2025 last Sunday in celebration of the Lunar New Year.
The Vietnamese Student and Scholar Association, Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers, Asian American Student Association, International Students Association, Japanese Language and Cultural Society and Chinese Culture Club came together to offer students the chance to learn and enjoy the history of the Lunar New Year.
Students participated in a Kahoot game with trivia questions focused on the history and meaning of Lunar New Year as well as East and Southeast Asian history and heritage. K-POC and HallyUA, which are K-pop dance and social organizations on campus, performed dances at the event along with the VSSA.
“I think that people should know about our culture, and I think it is really special for our community to express themselves in an event where people share a common identity,” said Khoi Vo, president of VSSA and a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering. “It is also special for me because I get to celebrate what makes me miss home.”
Three of the hosting organizations had tables set up with different cultural activities that students were able to participate in after the gala ended: The JLCS offered students the opportunity to create paper cranes and have their name spelled in katakana, a Japanese syllabary; the VSSA led students in a lucky red envelope activity where they could put fake money decorated with different Chinese zodiacs in them and the ASSA table allowed students to paint handheld fans.
For Madison Gore, a senior majoring in criminal justice, attending the annual celebration of Lunar New Year began as a way for her to support her friend, who is a former president of the VSSA. She continues to attend the event each year, as she believes that exposure to new things results in growth as a person.
“Especially now since we do not have DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] at our school anymore, it is important to be able to go to events where you learn about cultures you are not familiar with and meet new people,” Gore said.
Jordan Alomar, a freshman majoring in dance, performed at the gala with other members of HallyUA. She shared that although she was invited to dance, she enjoyed watching other cultures and people being proud of their heritage.
“There are a lot of people who do not see themselves in the media, on campus or in their school books, so events like this are saying ‘We’re here. This is us,’” Alomar said. “I think it is a great way to get together and build a community for people that may be lost or might need some love.”
