Carnival!
Great food and great company at the Chinese Carnival. (Photo by Matt Wasserman ’14)
It all started as an idea to share some Chinese food during China Week 2012 at OWU, but quickly grew. The Chinese Carnival, held on February 24 in the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, is now an annual event that encompasses many aspects of Chinese culture. The carnival is hosted by the Chinese Culture Club. Their goal? To expand cultural heritage for the community, to rid stereotypes, and to provide an opportunity for members of the OWU and Delaware communities to interact and have a better understanding of Chinese culture.
Students attending The Chinese Carnival during China Week 2012 got to try a buffet of Chinese food and visit different tables hosting Chinese games and activities. Students were taught how to play games such as Chinese Chess, Mahjong, and Chinese yo-yo. Other activities included Chinese paper cutting, and Tai Chi lessons. Wen Yu (Amy) Wong, the public manager of the Chinese Culture Club, shared what is at the heart of these events.
“I think that the best part is seeing that this event promotes an understanding of the Chinese culture. Though everyone in the OWU and Delaware communities may have different cultural backgrounds, we will be able to inform, and explain because of this event, that despite our cultural differences, we all share common themes in our lives—food and games.”
Students who knew very little about the event or Chinese culture in general came to see what it was all about. They experienced some aspects of a culture they may never get to see in person. One student said she came because she heard there would be free food, but stayed for the activities. “It’s really interesting to learn about the culture.” Sophomore Shannon Caskey saw the fliers around campus promoting the event and came to see what it was about, and decided to stay and have fun.
Wong says she ultimately hopes that this introduction of games and food “will allow the participants to go out and search for a better understanding of the Chinese culture.”