A night of culture and cuisine: Chinese Club hosts annual dinner
Photo courtesy of @cccgeneseo on Instagram/edited by photo editor Cassandra Cramer
On Friday Feb. 13, the Chinese Culture Club at Geneseo (CCCG) hosted their annual China Knight Dinner in the MacVittie College Union ballroom, which transformed an otherwise ordinary night into a celebration of tradition, culture, and cuisine. Guests gathered to enjoy a diverse array of performances complemented with traditional Chinese cuisine.
To kick off the event, attendees were served a variety of foods including rice, kung pao chicken, sliced pork, scallion pancakes, noodles, and dumplings. Following the entree, dessert consisted of fried sesame seed balls and green tea ice cream.
The mood in the air was one of happiness and unity, proving that food not only functions as nourishment and expression, but an instrument of connection. In fact, meals in China are often communal, thus reinforcing values of togetherness and family. Sharing a meal at a round table is considered a cultural norm, demonstrating that celebration is best experienced with others. In this case, CCCG echoed this tradition and created a space where students and community members could sit together, try new foods, and engage with each other. Every detail, from the Year of the Horse lucky money envelopes, to the various Chinese flags, to the tablecloths, was carefully constructed to ensure Chinese traditions and practices were being properly respected and displayed.
Following the meal, traditional Chinese attire, such as Hanfu and the Tang Suit, were demonstrated to the audience, who had the opportunity to learn about each garb’s history. Next, a skit based on an ancient Chinese legend was performed and narrated by students who made use of Chinese symbolism and attire throughout. After the skit, a violin duet performed music celebrating the lunar new year which helped lead into the dances.
A graceful ribbon dance captivated the audience as the performers’ movements, expressive gestures, and costumes highlighted the cultural custom of harmony and balance. This ancient art has been appreciated throughout its long history as a mechanism to express joy, and to connect with the environment via the fluid movements of the performers. Lastly, the lion dance was the featured performance of the evening, bringing the event to a close. Accompanied by rhythmic drumming, the lion’s movements brought smiles, laughter, and a festive spirit to an already exciting moment. Typically performed during the Lunar New Year, lion dances are said to bring good luck and drive away negative energy.
The energy in the room following the performances surely was positive and optimistic, and helped bring Chinese culture to the campus community. Robbie Silva, a junior accounting major who served as one of the hosts, agreed, stating, “I’m just happy to see that culture is being shared with people at Geneseo. I think the culture clubs bring this sense of authenticity for the students to experience themselves.” Alex Turner, a freshman psychology major who served as another host, echoed a similar feeling: “For me it was really fun to re-immersify myself in the culture because up here, it’s hard to find good authentic Chinese food plus it’s really fun for me to meet new people.”
When asked to reflect on the performances, Turner added that “it was really fun to see the outcome and it was really nice to see that [the dances] being brought to Geneseo where you probably would not have seen a lion dance otherwise.” While the China Knight Dinner was CCCG’s largest event of the year, it also served as an opportunity for CCCG to recruit new members and to serve as an avenue for those interested in learning more about Chinese culture and society. Silva commented on this, stating that “in a world of growing globalization, I think that if you have the slightest interest in a new culture you should go and explore it.”
She continued, in an optimistic tone, to discuss the club’s future and mentioned other signature events occurring throughout the semester, including a casino night that will serve authentic Chinese cuisine. For those interested in joining CCCG, Turner laid out some of the club’s activities, including movie watching, playing Chinese games such as mahjong, and enjoying mooncakes. Turner added, “This definitely was the best part of my week, it was really fun to see it all get put together and to be a part of the putting together.”
When asked for final remarks, Turner and Silva encouraged interested students to attend the general meetings, which are held every other Tuesday in room 322/323 of the Union at 7 p.m.!