<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=14mq8e_0wBokwg800" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=14mq8e_0wBokwg800" width="825" height="825" >Exploding with cheers and laughter, Kemper Auditorium overflowed with energy on Friday night as students taking Chinese classes performed various songs. This annual Chinese department event featured versatile performances including beautiful duets, comedic bits, and an interactive Just Dance segment. Along with being a creative outlet for students to learn the language, the event has become synonymous with a night of laughter and bonding.To prepare for this event, Chinese classes rehearsed their songs for the past few weeks. Deviating from a usual schedule, rehearsals, and practices livened up the regular cycle of classes. Jacob Honor ’27 described his experience preparing for his performance and how it was a great way to distract himself from typical academics.“My class performed the song ‘Ting Wo Shuo, Xie Xie Ni,’ along with a dance. For the past two weeks, we spent some time at the end of class practicing the song and the dance. I really enjoyed the time we spent practicing since it was a good change of pace from typical classes,” said Honor.With a large turnout, the event was extremely interactive and had immense audience engagement. During and between acts, members of the audience frequently laughed, cheered, and took videos. Even those who were not performing interacted with the songs, such as Frank Hu ’26, who attended despite not being involved in a Chinese class. Hu was excited to be involved in any way, through dancing and singing along with the crowd.“I thought that some of the acts where the audience could participate were really fun. For example, in ‘Geng Zhe Wo Zuo Shou,’ there were a lot of people dancing along in the crowd, and I thought that was really cool. I was misled because I didn’t realize it was a show. I thought I was pulling up to sing, but I think that it was fun either way. I was pleasantly surprised,” said Hu.The event pushed many students to go out of their comfort zone and go up on stage to perform light-hearted and comedic acts. For students who were not used to performing, the event was initially nerve-wracking. However, many students, such as Vincent Giancola ’26, eventually found fun in the event through the humorous and supportive environment.“My favorite moment of the show was probably just going up on the stage and dancing with the other two [Chinese] 520 periods and I really enjoyed being able to cheer for every single class going up there. I think it’s pretty embarrassing at first, but then you realize that nobody cares and everyone’s just trying to have fun. I also enjoyed watching [Chinese] 220s since I got to watch my friends dance,” said Giancola.For all students regardless of background, the event gave an introduction to both Chinese language and culture. As a student from China, Amelia Ding ’28 was excited to use this opportunity to meet new Chinese students and connect. She was also interested to find out more about Chinese musical culture through the performances.“I decided to attend the event because I am extremely interested in Chinese culture as I am pure Chinese myself. I was excited to be around and meet many people who are able to speak Chinese after being away from home for a while. My friends also told me that it would be really fun,” said Ding.Overall, the atmosphere during karaoke night was extremely upbeat, with performers and audience members alike letting loose and enjoying themselves. Cyrus Law ’27 described how the mood at the event was nothing short of explosive, as the screams of audience members cheering on their friends filled the room with excitement. He also added that particular acts garnered even more noise, standing out as favorites of the night.“The atmosphere was pretty crazy. Everyone was cheering on the performers, and with certain acts, like songs by popular artists or the ones where the audience could participate, everyone got even more excited. The audience was so supportive of all the performers and I think everyone was just having a really good time,” said Law.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Song Dynasty: Annual Chinese Karaoke Night

Exploding with cheers and laughter, Kemper Auditorium overflowed with energy on Friday night as students taking Chinese classes performed various songs. This annual Chinese department event featured versatile performances including beautiful duets, comedic bits, and an interactive Just Dance segment. Along with being a creative outlet for students to learn the language, the event has become synonymous with a night of laughter and bonding.