DePaul University’s Chinese Studies program will host a Year of the Rooster gala Jan. 27. (Image by DePaul University Chinese Studies program)CHICAGO – For the ninth consecutive year, DePaul University is set to
celebrate the Chinese New Year with a gala that features authentic Lunar New
Year food and cultural performances to welcome the Year of the Rooster.
The gala, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 6-9
p.m. Jan. 27 at the student center, Room 120, on the university’s Lincoln Park
Campus, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave. Online reservations are required for attendance.
Interested individuals can RSVP at http://bit.ly/DPU_rooster.
“The Lunar New Year is not only celebrated by Chinese people, but by
many people around the world,” said Li Jin, an associate professor and director
of DePaul’s Chinese Studies program. “Some of our hopes with this gala are to
connect members of the community through a shared interest, build a connection
between DePaul and the city of Chicago, and showcase DePaul as an international
university.”
More than 1,100 Asian students were enrolled at DePaul during the 2016
fall semester, with over 700 coming to Chicago from China.
This year’s gala will provide an immersive experience with performances
and interactive opportunities to honor Chinese New Year traditions. Traditional
and modern performances will be given by DePaul students and guests from the
Chicago community.
This year’s highlights include music collaborations between DePaul
students enrolled in Chinese language classes and international students from
China. There will also be a traditional xiangsheng, or Chinese cross-talk,
between professional Chinese performers and DePaul students who are taking
advanced-level Chinese language classes. All performances are bilingual. In
addition, the gala will include a traditional lion dance.
Guests will be able to try their hand at the ancient Chinese art of
calligraphy under the guidance of calligraphy artists, participate in Chinese
fortunetelling and papercutting, and view the Art Institute of Chicago
mini-tour of Chinese arts. They also will have an opportunity to participate in
games for commemorative souvenirs.
About the Year of the Rooster
The Year of the Rooster is the 10th animal in the 12-year Chinese
zodiac cycle and follows the Year of the Monkey. The year 2017 is specifically
a fire rooster year according to Chinese element theory. A fire rooster year
comes around once every 60 years, with the last one occurring in 1957.
Individuals born in the Year of the Rooster are considered loyal,
punctual and charming, said Jin. Those born specifically in a fire rooster year
are said to have minds that are more willing to take a risk or be quick
tempered, she added.
Unfortunately for individuals born in the Year of the Rooster, the year
of one’s birth animal is considered the unluckiest during the 12-year cycle,
said Jin. Therefore, roosters should be more careful and practical in 2017, she
continued.
To offset some of that unluckiness, however, attendees to the gala who
were born during the rooster lunar year can present a photo ID for an
opportunity to win a Year of the Rooster gift.
DePaul’s Chinese Studies program is hosting the gala with sponsorships
from DePaul’s Activities Board, Chinese Studies Association, Chinese Students
and Scholars Association, Department of Modern Languages, Driehaus Center for
International Business, Global Asian Studies, Office of Global Engagement,
Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity, and the Steans Center for
Community-based Service Learning & Community Service Studies.
The Chinese Studies program in DePaul’s College of Liberal Arts and
Social Sciences is an interdisciplinary academic unit awarding a Bachelor of
Arts degree in Chinese Studies. The program offers a major in Chinese Studies
and minors in Chinese Studies, Chinese language and commercial Chinese Studies.
More information on the program can be found at http://bit.ly/DPU_ChineseStudies.
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Source:
Li Jin
Ljin2@depaul.edu
773-325-1882
Media Contact:
Russell Dorn
rdorn@depaul.edu
312-362-7128