In honor of the upcoming Lunar New Year, Haverford’s Pan-Asian Resource Center hosted their annual Banquet with performances, refreshments, and activities to ring in the Year of the Horse. The banquet was hosted on Saturday, February 14 in Founders Hall and was open for all Tri-Co students to RSVP.
The night began with introductions from the hosts, Sho Nadata and Joey Kim, who competed in a pickup line competition for Valentine’s Day, where audience members cheered for their favorite lines. Audience members were then directed to line up for dinner from local restaurants Sang Kee Peking Duck House, DanDan and Dodo Bakery. The buffet included Peking duck, egg tarts and rice, among other traditional Asian dishes.
Afterwards, audience members returned to begin performances. Performances ranged from hip hop dances to vocal performances, with students drawing inspiration from Asian and Asian American artists and art styles. Among these performers was Tiffany Lan, a member of MEI, the Bi-Co Chinese Dance ensemble. Lan has performed in every Lunar New Year Banquet since the inaugural event in 2023. Her performance showcased Chinese Wushu styles and graceful, ballet-like moves that were complimented by the billowing form of her traditional attire.
Following the performances, executive board members took the stage to announce plans for the art installation Celebrasia later this year, where students from the Tri-Co are welcome to submit pieces for an Asian-American experience inspired collection to be displayed in the VCAM. Ongoing amendments to the installation are still underway, but information can be found on this document, and exhibition applications can be submitted on this Google form. They also encouraged interested and qualified Haverford students to apply for Pan-Asian affinity housing, which has been open in the Haverford apartments for students across the Asian diaspora to live in.
Board members then began rounds of Bingo, where attendees could play to earn prizes. It was followed by a raffle for a horse stuffed animal in honor of the incumbent Year of the Horse. Closing remarks from the hosts reflected on remembering the strength of community and the tradition of Lunar New Year as a time to start anew.
For PARC members, “the Banquet has always served as a space for students who observe Lunar New Year, but are unable to go home and spend that time with their family”, said Nadata. This year, the Banquet had a capacity of 180 guests, from 140 guests at the 2024 Banquet. Of this, PARC welcomed 36 students from Bryn Mawr and 2 from Swarthmore. In future Banquets, they hope to “continue building engagement … with greater financial support from the Tri-Co”, including “having sign ups from performers who attend Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore, [which] would help to attract more attendees from both of these schools.”
PARC recognizes the Haverford Student Council, Race and Ethnicity Education Office (REEO), Institutional Diversity Equity and Access Division (IDEA), East Asian Languages and Cultures Department, Asian American Studies Department, and Religious and Spiritual Life for their support for this event.
Lunar New Year is a holiday celebrated in primarily China and Vietnam, though celebrations across Pan-Asia and in global diasporic communities honor the tradition with unique practices and beliefs, including cleaning the home, buying new clothes, and receiving red pocket money. The holiday is aligned with the lunar calendar, with the official Gregorian calendar dates shifting each year. This year, the Spring Festival began on Monday, February 17, running until Friday, February 27. The Spring Festival is followed by the Lantern Festival, which will be celebrated in 2026 from Saturday, February 28 to Wednesday, March 4. This year is also recognized as the Year of Horse, the 7th year of the 12-year lunar cycle, and which is also the lunar zodiac of 2014, 2002 and 1990. More about zodiac horoscopes and Chinese zodiac mythology can be found on this Chinese New Year website.
PARC is a Pan-Asian affinity organization focused on strengthening community across the Asian diaspora through socials and events open to Asian students across the bi-college. More about the Pan-Asian Resource Center can be found on PARC’s Instagram, or they can be contacted at [email protected].
