In honor of the Chinese new moon and to showcase Chinese culture, the Confucius Institute hosted their fourth annual celebration. The event was held this Tuesday, Sept. 24, at the Heritage Center located on 105 N 100 E.
May Hunter, the local owner of Wedding Decor & More, catered the event in collaboration with China Kitchen. Hunter said this was her fourth year catering the event, and that she loves how the event, “invites people to come eat and showcases Chinese culture.”
Over 1,400 people were in attendance of the event, and they were all fed within an hour. President Scott L. Wyatt was spotted enjoying the food as well. Hunter was not afraid to admit that it took a lot of organization She shared that only two of the women with her were hired, and that the others consisted of Confucius volunteers, students and those within the community that wanted to help.
Among the volunteers, Cynthia Kimball Davis gave up her time to help out. Davis is the master’s of interdisciplinary studies program director in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at SUU and was quick to give credit regarding the event to Jacob Ng who is over the Confucius Institute.
In addition to the event, the volunteers that served as translators during a bus crash near Bryce Canyon National Park were brought up on stage and recognized for their help. They went from room to room to gain valuable information about the crash, and they also helped contact family.
After the crash, 19 patients were admitted to the hospital, none of which spoke English. Joe Brown told emergency personnel that he would have the students come right away and act as translators, and they did. On behalf of the State Bureau Investigation, gratitude for their service was expressed.
The remainder of the program consisted of an interesting mix of performances. Magician Jason Byers split stage time with the Cedar City Junior Ballet. From blue and gold macaws appearing out of thin air to graceful ballerinas spinning across the stage, this was, in fact, a sight to see.
Don’t miss out on this entertaining event next year, and in the meantime, mark your calendars for the next Confucius Institute event held in February. For more information about the Confucius Institute and what they’re all about, click here.
Story by: Elizabeth Armstrong
accent@suunews.net
Photos by: Elizabeth Armstrong
