Lunar New Year celebrated at campus festival

Riverside, Calif. (Feb. 6, 2019)—Moriah Masina, a marketing senior at California Baptist University, was browsing around several food booths at the Lunar New Year Celebration when something caught her eye. She decided to try Jiaozi, a Chinese dumpling. As she tasted the treat, she immediately smiled.  

“I think students can broaden their horizons by attending events like these,” Masina said.  “Students are able to see cultures outside of America, which is great because we are a melting pot of different cultures here at CBU.” 

Community Life and the International Center at CBU hosted the event on Feb. 5 at the Community Life Lounge.

The Lunar New Year began on Feb. 5 and celebrations typically continue through Feb. 19. The event at CBU featured Chinese snacks, games, music and student performers. Additionally, CBU international students helped transcribe participants’ names into Mandarin.  

 Leslie Shelton, director of International Student Services at CBU, said the university has a growing Asian population.

“Celebrating this New Year makes some international students feel more at home,” Shelton said. “We want to celebrate their culture and introduce American students to a major holiday that is celebrated in different parts of the world.”