Last Saturday evening, hundreds of students filled the Mandela Room in the Old University Union in celebration of Chinese New Year. Feb. 9 marked the last day of the Dragon Year and provided the perfect setting for Chinascope’s biggest show of the semester.
Chinascope, a student organization dedicated to intercultural communication and understanding, deserves every compliment. The event started off without a hitch as students had their hands stamped at the door, then had the choice to grab a seat at a table or immediately file into lines for the Chinese food dinner. The food was catered by Buffet Star in Vestal and included staple dishes such as pepper steak, Kung Po chicken, Ma Po bean curd and vegetable fried rice. Dessert, served during intermission, was a choice between glutinous rice balls with peanut filling and small strawberry cakes. Once everyone was settled in, the lights went down and the show began.
In matching “I Heart Chinascope” sweatshirts, the Chinascope E-Board performed a choreographed dance, pumping up the crowd. The dance number was followed by an E-Board video set to “Call Me Maybe,” which involved synchronized swimming, rolling chairs and hilarious lip-synching. Post-video, the emcees appeared for the first time, and they certainly added a humorous flavor to the show throughout the night.
Throughout the program were several videos written and recorded by Chinascope. The first video involved a business meeting with “translation gone wrong,” in which two businessmen communicated through a translator. After several funny language errors, the translator held up a DVD to the camera and suggested, “Don’t get a translator like me — get Rosetta Rock.” Another video, titled “BU Problems,” featured a Chinascope E-Board member rapping about stuff that irks Binghamton students. There were complaints such as “Fine Arts, where yo bathrooms?” and “Construction everywhere — they lied to me at orientation.” My personal favorite was a shot of the student peering dejectedly at the College-in-the-Woods cutlery and lamenting, “I need plastic forks, not these metal spoons.” A greater truth has never been spoken.
From Cornell University came the impressive Wushu Martial Arts Team. A few main performers wore silky outfits in red, white or blue, and, along with a chorus of other students, the team put on a routine that was a mix of intense dancing and traditional Kung Fu moves.
“I like martial arts in general,” said Aimee Manimtim, a sophomore majoring in accounting. “Their performance was intense and elegant at the same time, and they really made the art form pop.”
Dragon Night boasted a fine balance of singing, instruments and dancing. While every act was excellent in its own right, there were certainly a few standouts. A violin battle featuring “Toxic,” by Britney Spears, was undeniably impressive, as the players switched off on the melody and displayed some fancy finger work. Perhaps it was meant to be a battle, but the violinists were in perfect synchronization at any given time and appeared to be playing with, not against, each other. Later, a stellar performance by the female BU dance group, Fuschia, lit up the place. Underneath the heavy beats, skintight clothing and furious hair-flipping, the Fuschia girls exhibited some truly excellent dance moves. On a no-less-energetic plane, the Bhangra dance group clapped, jumped and stomped to upbeat music that had audience members bouncing in their seats. Bhangra is a cultural dance from Punjab, the Northwestern region of Inida, and the students wore traditional loose tunics and pants embellished with peacock designs. Living up to their reputation, the Bhangra group danced with perfect rhythm and enormous smiles; the room was alive with energy.
“I really like that Chinascope connected with other cultures by inviting groups like Bhangra,” said Munira Pulodi, a junior majoring in human development. “It made it more interesting.”
The final number, “Girls’ Dance,” was performed by Chinascope members. Like many of the other acts, the dance included a mix of popular songs. The girls closed the show in matching black sneakers and neon pink shirts that glowed under black light, bearing “#SWAG” in black letters. The black-light effect was a nice touch when it came to ending such a dynamic evening.
“I love how they incorporated modern music — music that everyone knows,” Manimtim said. “It made it easy for people who may not be Chinese to identify with the culture.”
Dragon Night was a fantastic way to kick off this semester. It’s events like these that remind us why we’re at college — not just to educate our minds, but to connect with others through creative media such as music, performing arts and, of course, food. In a crowd of hundreds that night, it was easy to feel part of something. As students, we should share a common goal — to be accepted and to accept others — for we are not so different from each other when it comes down to it.
“Watching all of the performances made me proud of my heritage and culture,” said Connie Chan, a freshman majoring in biology. “I’m very glad I went.”
Hats off to Chinascope for providing us with an excuse to exercise our vitality.