The MSMS Asian Student Association welcomed attendees to its annual Lunar Celebration on Feb. 8 with fried rice, spring rolls and traditional red Lunar New Year envelopes filled with either candy or money.

Seventy-five students responded to the RSVP email sent out two weeks prior to the event. According to ASA President Christina Zhang, even more students showed up to Hooper Auditorium for the actual event.

Five trays of fried rice and 70 spring rolls were ordered from Peking Chinese Restaurant, enough to feed 100 people.

“We initially thought we went overboard with the fried rice, but thankfully it all got eaten up,” Zhang said. “Beef was definitely the most popular option!”

ASA previously held the Bubble Tea Social in December. ASA Vice President Andrew Liu said the Lunar New Year event was “definitely more organized” and said people seemed to be happier with the product served than at the boba event.

ASA’s faculty sponsor Lori LeVar Pierce highlighted the continued support received from ASA alumni.

“The parents of one of the founding members of MSMS ASA own Peking Chinese Restaurant, so they always give us a really nice discount,” Pierce said.

The night was capped off with the much-anticipated announcement of the ASA junior representatives. After what Pierce called a “very difficult selection process,” juniors Lisa Seid and Maryann Dang were revealed to have been chosen for the positions. 

“I am so happy, and I cannot wait to represent ASA,” Seid said. “I’m just very thankful for the officers that we have now, and I’m sure they put a lot of thought into picking the junior representatives.”

“I’m very surprised, but I’m happy and excited to work hard as a representative for ASA,” Dang said. 

Overall, the officers and Pierce said they were satisfied with the turnout.

“When ASA and Madam Pierce host an activity, everybody always shows up because it’s good food,” said Pierce.

“Even though we are celebrating Lunar New Year a little bit later, I’m still really proud of how the event turned out and the fact that we can share this part of Asian culture with MSMS,” Zhang added.