Last week, the NIU College of Business partnered with the university’s Asian American Resource Center (AARC) and sponsored a cultural excursion to Chinatown in Chicago in celebration of the Lunar New Year.
Students departed Barsema Hall in the morning by bus and made their way to the Chinese American Museum of Chicago where they learned about the origin, history and rich culture of Chinatown. Then, they enjoyed a traditional, family-style meal at MingHin Cuisine and two hours of free time during which they were immersed in the neighborhood.
Forty-four students participated in this inaugural event, with the majority being business students.
Margee Myles, director of undergraduate advising and student resources for the College of Business, and Bennett Piscopo, graduate student experience and engagement coordinator, led the trip alongside AARC‘s Michelle Bringas, Sim Chin and Christina Carpio.
Piscopo, who helped plan the event, believes experiences like this one are invaluable because they help us enrich our worldview and grow our appreciation and understanding of different cultures.
“Events like these are great opportunities for students to learn outside of the classroom and build community. For many, this trip was their first time visiting Chinatown, so it was very special to be a part of the experience,” Piscopo said. “Chinatown is a beautiful neighborhood with such rich culture and history, and I’m sure it left a lasting impression on the students. We learned a lot, ate great food and had fun exploring.”
The trip also provided a learning opportunity for NIU student leaders who helped make it happen. Mya Stroup handled planning the trip and creating the Lunar New Year information board in the LRS Undergraduate Student Success Center. Say Paw, Zahra Syed and Sovannak Ra joined Stroup in assisting on the day of the trip.
Accountancy student Lillian Hermann participated in the trip to Chinatown. Having grown up in a small town in Indiana, Hermann said she did not get to learn about other cultures very often.
“I think that it’s important that the College of Business celebrates all cultures so that not only those students feel recognized but also students like me get to learn more about what other cultures look like,” she said. “When I learned about the event, I was instantly excited about the opportunity to go since I have never been to Chinatown and have been wanting to go. I learned to be more open-minded and to not be scared to start conversations! I was able to meet a lot of people on the trip I hadn’t met before and learned a lot about them.”
What’s next?
Be sure to look for upcoming cultural immersion opportunities in the College of Business. Our next event will be the Soul Food Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, in the Haribo Commons.
