By Susana Restrepo
On Thursday, February 19, the Korean Student Association, along with the Filipino Association of Stevens Tech, co-hosted an event in Jacobus lounge to celebrate the Korean New Year (also known as the Lunar New Year). The Lunar New Year is one of the most important Korean celebrations. The Lunar New Year is the first day of the lunar calendar. It marks the beginning of the New Year and is usually celebrated for three days.
The Lunar New Year was celebrated with Korean and Philippine cuisine.  The Korean Student Association served white rice, bulgogi (spiced beef with onions),  jeon (savory pancakes that were flavored either with pepper, vegetarian, and fish), kimchi, mandu (Korean dumplings), kimbap (Korean sushi), and dduk (small rice cakes with sesame filling). The Filipino Association served pancit palabok (shrimp noodle dish), fried chicken, teriyaki chicken, egg rolls, and turón (sweetened plantains fried and in wonton wrappers). The music played at the event consisted mostly of K-pop, and audience requests were also played. Such songs played were Good Boy by GD x Taeyang, Be Natural by Red Velvet, and Crazy by 4Minute.
The event was also a cultural experience. Many were able to try two different kinds of cuisines. When asked about the the culture of the event, Engineering Undecided Freshman Alex Buhse replied, “It was really great to learn about these cultures. Not only did I get to eat this awesome food, I also finally learned to use chopsticks!”
“I think the best part about this is the atmosphere,” Chemical Engineering Freshman Christian Marsala added.
At the event there were interest forms for Korean-American artists Dumbfoundead and Awkwafina to come to Stevens. They have shown great interest to perform here. If you are interested in seeing them perform, e-mail the Korean Student Association expressing interest and keep an eye out for news about them!
