Photos: ‘A Fresh Start, Renewal’: ACE Celebrates Lunar New Year with Culture, Community and Cuisine

Two people dressed in traditional attire pose in front of a presentation slidedeck. The decorations above the stage include balloons spelling out “Lunar New Yr 2025” and multicoloured lights. — Students and community members gather to celebrate Lunar New Year 2025 in the KC Stack. ACE President and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia junior Enkhmaa Buyanbadrakh said that she hopes “most importantly people have fun” (Photo by Killian Altayeb).

The KC Stack was transformed yet again into a space of celebration during Asian Cultural Engagement’s (ACE) Lunar New Year celebration on Thursday.

The gathering featured a photo booth, a selection of Asian cuisine and a traditional music performance, marking the Year of the Snake.

According to Jonathan H. X. Lee, an Asian and Asian American studies professor at San Francisco State University, this year is about “shedding toxicity in personality, in character traits.”

To ACE President and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia junior Enkhmaa Buyanbadrakh the year “basically symbolizes a fresh start, renewal.”

A young woman in a black dress with red floral patterns holds a plate and cup at an indoor event with decorative lanterns and lights. — Chicago sophomore Yesania Godey stands in front of the event with a plate of food. “My favorite part’s pretty much the food but also the fashion runway”, Godey said (Photo by Killian Altayeb).

Buyanbadrakh said that the components of the event were chosen by the members of ACE, in collaboration with Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha (SIA).

“We tried to include Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Mongolian dishes,” Buyanbadrakh said.

Vice President of SIA and Clinton Township senior Ikatari Swope said that collaborating with ACE was to “share this happiness with them.”

“It’s kind of this new opening for them in their year, and I think it’s just really good for cultural awareness and generous bonds,” Swope said.

Swope added that the event “contributes a lot to awareness, and it allows for people to express themselves, to share their culture.”

Buyanbadrakh said via email yesterday that in addition to the Office of Campus Life, members of both organizations “put in a lot of effort to make this event happen, and it was great to see everything come together.”

“Maya, Bayasgalan and Ikatari were a big help in keeping things running smoothly, and I really appreciate their dedication,” Buyanbadrakh said.

The evening also included a performance by the Tenger Khuur Ensemble of Chicago, which according to their website is “a distinguished musical school dedicated to preserving and promoting Mongolian music’s rich traditions while fostering global cultural exchange.”

Professor of physics Demian Cho said that “it’s nice that we celebrate other culture’s significant days” and that cultural events on campus “help people know that some small portion of society celebrates that day.”

Cho added that “it’s important for perspective, to say that ‘oh, our culture is much more diverse than I think it is.’”