Chinese New Year Offers Culture and Charm at Northwestern Health Sciences University

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - About 250 people attended Chinese New Year at Northwestern Health Sciences University despite a blast of icy weather that hit the Bloomington, Minn., area right as the celebration began on Feb. 9.

Northwestern’s Chinese New Year featured many exciting activities, such as performances by the Twin Cities Chinese Dance Center, a traditional lion dance, Chinese exercise demonstrations, and a number of activities for kids. There was also free Chinese food provided by Hunan Restaurant and homemade Chinese dumplings.

The third annual event was co-sponsored by the Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and the Student Senate at Northwestern Health Sciences University.

Kathy Allen, assistant dean of the Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MCAOM) and co-organizer of the event, said it was an excellent experience for everyone involved.

“I think that our Chinese New Year Celebration gives Northwestern - and especially MCAOM - the chance to share just a bit of the wonderful Chinese culture that we've come to know and love through our much-loved Chinese faculty and staff,” Allen said. 

“The dancing was lovely, the kung-fu/tai chi demonstrations were amazing, and the student, faculty and staff members who volunteered seemed to have a great time.”

Richard Monson-Haefel brought his family to the celebration for the second year in a row.

“We heard about Chinese New Year from a friend who read about it in a local paper,” Monson-Haefel said. “We home school, so it’s very important to us that we expose our kids to cultural events – plus it’s great dancing! The kids love it, and we like that it gives them the opportunity to see that people have different traditions, different ways of dressing and eat different foods.”

“The cold weather couldn’t stop the warm spirit of Chinese New Year from energizing the crowd at Northwestern,” Allen noted. “Everyone truly seemed to have a good time.”

Northwestern Health Sciences University offers a wide array of choices in natural health care education including chiropractic, Oriental medicine, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, human biology, and integrative health and wellness. The University has more than 900 full-time students on a 25-acre campus in Bloomington, Minn.