On Wednesday, Feb. 7, the College of Central Florida Ocala Campus hosted its Lunar New Year Celebration. The CF International Club, in collaboration with the Student Activities Board (SAB), brought hallmarks of the annual East Asian celebration to the school. The event was a resounding success according to check-in staff, who confirmed over 234 students attended.

“We’re very impressed,” said Kinley Varner, President of the Student Activities Board. “Our numbers have grown a lot since last year [and] previous years since COVID.”

While the event was originally scheduled to be held outdoors in the Bedford Plaza, it was moved to the lobby of the Clifford B. Stearns Learning Resources Center due to weather concerns. While this change was described as “last minute” by International Club President Justin Fanning, it may have inadvertently helped attendance. Of twelve students surveyed at the event, three said they only found out about the event by happening to be in the library when it took place.

The celebration was indeed hard to miss if you were in the building. The entire room was adorned with traditional ornaments like Chinese lanterns, along with a wealth of other red and gold decor.

For most, the highlight of the festivities was the free boba tea being served. Eight out of the twelve students surveyed specifically noted it among the things they enjoyed most about the event. Also popular with attendees was a bingo game, complete with themed bingo cards featuring a variety of creatures and objects associated with the Chinese New Year. Winners of the game, along with those who entered a giveaway at check-in, took home a variety of special prizes, including chopsticks and an adorable Chinese dragon plush.

Although the event was regarded as a success by a large sum of students and staff, some students were not without complaints. Many who were surveyed lamented the quality of the free noodles being served at the event. One student described them as “dry” while another said they were “cold” but added that they thought they were still “super tasty.”

While some improvements seemingly could have been made, the event accomplished its mission of introducing the Lunar New Year celebrations of other cultures to the CF student body. Hopefully this success will continue for future events in the coming semester and beyond.