Students Celebrate Year of the Tiger

The Chinese community at Tulane University is celebrating the "year of the tiger" with several events to ring in the start of the Chinese New Year.

"Chinese New Year is a period, not just a day," says Zhouheng Philip Zhuang, chair of the public relations committee of the Tulane Chinese Students and Scholars Association. "In China, people buy new clothes, clean their homes and visit with family as a symbol of their fresh start to the New Year."

The Chinese Students and Scholars Association will host its Spring Festival Mart today and Friday (Feb. 11–12) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Pederson Lobby of the Lavin-Bernick Center on the uptown campus. More than 100 Chinese-themed items, including movies, books and artwork, are available for purchase, with many items priced at $5 or less.

Zhuang says the annual event usually attracts people from many cultures. Students especially welcome the opportunity to have their names written in Chinese calligraphy as well as to enjoy the good food.

On Saturday (Feb. 13), the eve of the New Year, the association will host a Spring Festival Party from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., featuring music, entertainment and a Chinese buffet. The event takes place in rooms 212 and 213 in the Lavin-Bernick Center. Tickets for the party are available at the mart for $5. Tickets purchased on the evening of the party are $10.

The mission of Tulane Chinese Students and Scholars Association is to encourage communication between the Tulane Chinese community and other cultural, academic and professional communities in New Orleans. The student-run organization is under the umbrella of the Office of Multicultural Affairs within the Division of Student Affairs.

For more information about this week's events, visit the TCSSA website.