Lion's Eye Favorite: Hundreds Turn Out for Asian Festival

June 30, 2009

Students get a taste of spicy Korean cuisine at the Asian Festival Night Market

What do Korean-style ribs, sushi, origami, traditional Asian dress, Chinese dumplings, Chinese harp music, and karaoke in Korean, Japanese and Chinese all have in common? They were part of the exciting mix for the Asian Festival, which took place on campus over a recent weekend. Jointly sponsored by Exeter's Asian clubs, the festival is a relaxed way for Asian students to share their culture with other students.

Japanese America Society members wearing traditional yukatas

"It was really cool to see all the different Asian clubs combine to create this festival," said Jocelyn '11, a member of the Taiwanese American Society. "The best part by far was seeing how willing many Exonians were to learn and try what each country had to offer."

The two main events of the Asian Festival were the Night Market on Saturday evening and the Asian Dinner on Sunday.

Here's a selection of student impressions:

"I love the night markets at home in Taiwan. When talk of simulating a night market for the festival began, I jumped at the idea. I always try to describe to my friends here at Exeter the noises and lights, and the way everyone is packed together, but you really can't understand the environment until you're actually in one."
— Jocelyn, Taiwan American Society and International Student Advisory Board

"One of the other girls in my club had two yukatas (a lighter, more casual version of a kimono) so I got to dress up in it for the festival. Even at home, I hardly wear yukatas, except when we have omatsuri, which are basically night markets. It was cool to get a chance to wear it in front of my friends, who always see me in Western clothing."
— Shinri '12, Japan-America Society and International Student Advisory Board

"Although the Asian Festival was a very relaxed environment, there was a lot of learning going on. You get a fuller experience when you learn from your own friends. Students were the ones cooking the food and distributing the information, making it much more effective than learning through a textbook in class. You get to see your friends in a new light that allows you to recognize how special all the aspects of their heritage really are."
— Vanessa '10, Co-Head Origami Club and Japanese language student

Chinese Student Organization booth

"I've been playing my instrument, the Gu Zheng, for about 7 years. It's a harp-like Chinese instrument. At Exeter, people are very welcoming about different cultures. They were so interested in my instrument and very excited to hear me play. I've had a great response from students and from teachers."
— Lily '09, Chinese Student Organization

"Oftentimes, my peers from Asia talk about things they miss most from back home. I wanted to raise appreciation and awareness of the different types of Asian culture represented by students on campus, as well as to provide students of Asian heritage with an opportunity to gather and share those aspects of their cultural backgrounds that make them different. I find myself questioning those aspects that I used to accept as the norm. I know that by talking about my cultural background, I am clearing stereotypes that a person might have about my country while simultaneously giving them a chance to understand me and my country better."
— Michael '10, Korean Society and International Student Advisory Board

Karaoke was a popular attraction for attendees

"My favorite part of the festival was doing mehendi—drawing semipermanent henna designs on people's hands. I've had it done on myself, but I've never been the one drawing the mehendi. It was a ton of fun! Afterward, I bought henna cones and started doing it on dormmates. I love sharing Indian culture with people. Initially, students may think different customs are weird, but as they learn more about them, they get more interested and end up enjoying themselves. And when I share my culture, others reciprocate, and I get to learn more about other cultures!"
— Pooja '11, Hindu Society

Overall, 7 Asian clubs participated in the Asian Festival along with the International Student Advisory Board. Each club had 5-10 students who worked on cooking, setup and booth coverage. Over 300 students attended the Asian Dinner and hundreds more turned out to sample the food, browse, listen to the music, and take in the sights of the Night Market.

Interested in learning more?

Learn about Asia-focused clubs at Exeter…

Listen and view this YouTube Gu Zheng performance and learn more about this classical Chinese instrument...

Check out this fashionable look at Japanese yukatas and kimonos from Trends in Japan website...

Learn more about Exeter's modern languages offerings, which include Japanese and Chinese...

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Lion's note: this story first appeared on May 27, 2009.