Every year, Barbara Schaal, Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, shares a video vignette for the holidays that highlights some aspect of the Arts & Sciences community, from research to learning, from faculty to students, from the ends of the world to the heart of campus. This year the focus of this holiday highlight is on the student-organized annual Lunar New Year Festival celebration.
For the past 20 years, students from all areas of Arts & Sciences and across campus have come together to create and perform a spectacular production celebrating the Lunar New Year. Through acting, dancing, drumming, martial arts, and more, nearly 200 performers explore both modern and traditional facets of Asian heritage. Proceeds from this popular event support a different philanthropy each year.
Emily Liu, a senior in Arts & Sciences majoring in biochemistry with a minor in psychological and brain sciences, is a current executive director of the Lunar New Year Festival (LNYF). “The Lunar New Year is akin to the American holidays because it’s a time that’s understood to be specifically for your family,” Liu says. “LNYF has become a family. These are the people I want to spend my time with, even when I’m really stressed and busy. Being part of something that’s larger than yourself is incredibly rewarding.”
The 2017 A&S holiday video was produced by Sean Garcia. Additional credits: Photography by James Byard, Whitney Curtis, Caroline Hsiao, Eric Zhu, Sid Hastings, Sean Garcia, Chris Phutully. Videography by Caroline Hsiao, Sean Garcia, Videoblocks.com. Music by Art-List.io. Interview and editing by Sean Garcia.
