By: Yolanda Perez

Students and staff come together to ring in the year of the rabbit but how deep does UNLV’s support go?The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is one of the most diverse campuses in the U.S., tied with counterparts such as Stanford University and the University of San Francisco. Does UNLV use its diversity status for show or is there merit to their boastful talk on the subject?As a diverse school, UNLV is home to a variety of ethnic clubs, including the Vietnamese Student Association. After months of preparation, VSA can finally have the biggest event in its history. The Lunar New Year celebration turnout surprised the host of the event and the President of the VSA, Nguyen Nguyen.

“At first, I thought only 100 people would come to the Lunar New Year event,” Nguyen said. “Later on, lots more people came which was a big surprise. This made me optimistic that people are interested in Asian culture and learning more about it.”

The Jan. 31 event hosted more than 200 guests in the 2 hours and thirty minutes the event took place. It invited people to come and learn about the different Asian cultures that celebrate the Lunar New Year.There is a misunderstanding of the differences between the Chinese New Year and the Lunar New Year. It is common for the terms to be used interchangeably but the Chinese New Year is specific to only China. While many different countries in Asia celebrate the Lunar New Year. For Nguyen, this is an important takeaway that she hopes people learn from attending the event.

“We all celebrate differently, that’s what we want to educate people on. Making sure they understand the difference between the Lunar New Year traditions of different countries.” Nguyen Nguyen

The VSA has been planning this event since the summer of 2022. One thing they did not plan for was inviting other UNLV organizations to participate. The Association Representing Koreans, the Taiwanese Student Association, and the Japanese Student Alliance were all invited to participate in the event. Once a small gathering, the event turned into a big collaborative effort. Every club brought its own food and activities. They were also responsible for promoting the event on their social media pages. They recreated videos that were trending in their specific country.

“It was a good time to work with other Asian clubs because we could help each other out,” Nguyen said. “I loved collaborating and creating content with them. This opportunity also allowed us to give each other ideas on how to better our clubs.”

The event took place in the ballrooms inside UNLV’s Student Union. The large space was filled with many different booths. Some served food, others had general information, and activities. The food and activities were reminiscent of the traditions that take place during the Lunar New Year time.

The activities present were fortune-telling and the Chinese game Jianzi, a game like the American hacky sack.For food, guests enjoyed cuisine from various Asian countries; Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. The spread included dried jackfruit, bah mi sandwiches, cow ear cookies, sweet colorful Japanese rice dumplings called dango, and sweet potato noodles just to name a few. Although there were a sea of tables serving food it was still not enough for the hungry crowd. The food was gone in the first hour of the event meaning not everyone who attended could indulge in the different cuisine.Food is a vital part of the event as Nguyen feels it is what aids in creating connections to new cultures and helps express the uniqueness of each country. She is happy that the event had a good turnout but is upset that there was not enough food for all the guests.

The Lunar New Year event was a huge accomplishment for the VSA. It shows how important events celebrating different cultures are. They help people connect with their own culture and provide an opportunity for others to be educated about different cultures. Events are important for celebrating culture and identity, said Cece Carodine, Interim Program Director at The Office of Student Diversity Programs.Carodine has been with The Office of Student Diversity Programs since 2021. They are responsible for planning different UNLV events regarding gender and identity. Carodine mentions that some people disregard their work as event planning but they want people to acknowledge that it is deeper than that.

“The work we do in regard to diversity, equity, and inclusion are aspects in all our events,” Carodine said. “It is really important for us to attend all these types of events because it helps people find community. Having a diverse community is important because it builds community. Often it can feel isolating to walk into a space where you’re the only person who is an ethnic minority. Community is crucial in this sense because it gives you a support system. It takes away the feeling of isolation you would normally feel being the only person in the room of a different ethnic background.”

The Office of Student Diversity Programs plays a pivotal role in creating this important sense of community. Collaborating with different student organizations like the VSA to amplify their voices. Yet Carodine reveals that UNLV needs to work towards making their office a priority.

UNLV is a Minority Serving Institution, meaning the students here are very diverse. But UNLV is not serving in the best interest of the minorities, according to Carodine.

The Office of Student Diversity programs is in a tumultuous state as of now. The employees are not permanent and the headquarters is an out-of-date small house in front of the architectural building. Carodine is frustrated that UNLV will not provide them with a bigger space and a consistent community of employees.

“We are serving so many different identities and I don’t think that’s fair for the students and the people who work in this office, we need a big building since we have so many diverse populations here. Just the fact that the university is giving us a hard time about this is really disappointing because we are a diverse school.” Cece Carodine

The university prides itself on being one of the most diverse schools in the U.S. but its Office of Student Diversity programs is struggling right beneath its nose.

“Students could raise awareness about our office by coming to our events,” Carodine said. Informing the program coordinators of what events, they want us to do. This would also raise awareness about how our office needs to be pushed to the forefront of student priority.”For now, The Office of Student Diversity Programs will continue to plan and hold events that celebrate diversity, inclusion, and equity within the Houssel House with hopes of moving to the Student Union soon.