The culture of China was the focus of a recent event highlighting the country’s unique traditions

This year the Chinese New Year was celebrated at VU on Feb. 15 in the Green Activity Center.

Annually, the Office of International Student Affairs host and celebrate the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year is the most important holiday for the Chinese. It is known to be the first day of the first month in the traditional Chinese calendar.

As the audience, prepared for the program, they were served traditional Chinese food.

The audience was also taught that 2018 is the year of the Dog. They were also taught a few words and phrases in Chinese, one phrase being “thank you.” Participants also go to hear some of the Chinese instruments played by Virgil Franklin. The instruments he played was the erhu, which is the Chinese equivalent to a violin and the dizi, a bamboo flute.

During the Chinese New Year ceremony the audience were told that instructors and international students from Vincennes University took a trip to China in the summer of 2017.

MaryAnn “Sunflower” Seward, professor of communications, Beverly Burch, professor of English along with three other VU professors got to be teach and experience the culture of China. While speaking during the presentation, Seward stated that her students were genuine and kind.

“They touched my heart in ways that I can’t explain,” Seward said.

She was referring to the manor that she simply couldn’t put into words how the hospitality and kindness from her students.

Burch during the presentation mentioned the Vincennes Sun Commercial ran a story about the trip with the headline “we all smile in the same language”

Burch said of her students, “The students that I had taught English in China because Chinese Students are taught English as a second language. The way we might study Spanish.”

Burch said on her memorable part of China was learning that “the teachers in China share so much with American teachers. They share the same challenges that we do with students that are resistant to learning. They share the same rewards that we do…they share a lot of our same struggles and we are just more alike than we are different.”

Burch stated without hesitation on being asked if she would return to China again with a “Yes, I would like to go back and do it again.”