By Nadine Moedt (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: March 11, 2015
In celebration of the Lunar New Year, a masquerade ball filled UFV’s gym and AfterMath with masked dancers in formal wear and masks, ranging from flamboyant Carnival styles to Princess Bride bandit masks.
The March 6 celebration, which was put together by a long list of student groups — including UFV’s international club, Arab club, Latino club, UFV India, and Chinese student association — commemorated the ushering-in of the Year of the Sheep (or ram, or goat, whatever your preference). Some 150 guests and masked dancers drifted from the dance floor to AfterMath to socialize.
Sourav Aggarwal, a member of the international friendship club who helped organize the event, said that the night signified more than just a celebration of the Lunar New Year. Their choice to have it masquerade-themed was inspired by the Lunar New Year coinciding with Anti-Racism Week. Organizing the event was a “cultural collaboration,” Aggarwal said.
“Getting to know people from another culture, working with them and sharing ideas helps a lot in creating those ties … It just creates a stronger sense of diversity that we have at UFV. Such events celebrate diversity across our university.”
According to Aggarwal, the celebration attracted both international and local students from a wide variety of religion and race.
