Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
(574) 284-4579 or gobrien@saintmarys.edu
January 28, 2008 (Notre Dame, Ind.)— According to the Chinese lunar calendar, February 7 marks the Chinese New Year. Saint Mary's College invites the public to celebrate the New Year with “China Night,” which will be held at 7:30 p.m. on February 7 in Carroll Auditorium in Madeleva Hall. China Night will feature traditional Chinese dance performances and music played with unique Chinese instruments. Scheduled performers include the Granger Chinese Dance Company, the South Bend Chinese Language School, and the Notre Dame Chinese Band, and there will be a fashion show showcasing traditional Chinese garments. Saint Mary’s new China Summer Study Program will also be featured briefly during the event. Admission is free.
The College’s China Summer Study Program is a collaborative endeavor with Creighton University (a Catholic university in Omaha, Nebraska) and the Soong Ching Ling Foundation (the most influential philanthropic organization in China). College President Carol Mooney traveled to China last summer to meet with Creighton and Foundation officials and to create this partnership between the institutions. This summer four Saint Mary’s students will travel to China with 11 students from Creighton for an intensive summer course in either Chinese philosophy or Chinese art. In return, next year two scholars from China will be visiting Saint Mary’s. In the fall Saint Mary’s will continue to pursue other China-related study opportunities. At China Night, award-winning writer Dr. Jinmei Yuan, one of two Creighton University professors visiting for the occasion, will read a short story about one study abroad experience, from the perspectives of students and the people they met in China.
China Night is co-sponsored by the Center for Women’s InterCultural Leadership (CWIL), the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), and three student groups: the Pacific Asian Islanders Club, the Around the World Club, and the Student Diversity Board.
