Students hand-made and cooked their own dumplings during the event. REYNA ORLOVA / THE QUADRANGLE
Reyna Orlova, Contributor
On Wednesday, Sept. 30 Manhattan University’s (MU) Asian Student Association (ASA) hosted a dumpling making event in Jasper Hall. The members of ASA demonstrated how to make dumplings from scratch and offered chicken, pork and vegetable fillings.
The event was designed to give students an introduction to the ASA, as well as give them something hands-on to appreciate Chinese culture. ASA members encouraged all students to join even if they were not a part of the club.
Vincent Vocal, ASA’s social media manager and junior computer science major, shared ASA’s mission to be inclusive to all students on MU’s campus.
“[ASA’s] purpose is to create a welcoming community.” Vocal said. “Not just for Asian students, but for everybody interested in the culture and wanting to celebrate it.”
Christina Cheng Wu, ASA’s shadow board member and sophomore political science major, emphasized this point and mentioned that ASA strives to create community outside of campus through donations and charity.
“We are trying to communicate with local communities and either help them [by] volunteering or [donating] money.” Cheng Wu said. “We are looking for more charity programs to donate [to].”
ASA has already successfully worked with one charity organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which is devoted to helping impoverished children gain access to things like food, shelter and education. Vocal also mentioned that the ASA has specific plans in Chinatown with food pantries and volunteer work planned.
Gabriella Dimalanta, ASA’s event coordinator and senior biology major, shared future events and a possible collaboration with MU’s Black Student Union (BSU) with the Quadrangle.
“We always have a potluck during the fall semester, which is just [where] we share a bunch of our culture, like cultural foods, and just hangout with all [members].” Dimalanta said. “We’ve also been trying to do a movie night with [BSU].”
REYNA ORLOVA / THE QUADRANGLE
Collaborations with other MU affinity groups are being planned, but nothing has been made official yet. ASA also shared that students looking to get involved with the club should reach out at @asa_manhattan on Instagram or email them at asa@manhattan.edu.
Cheng Wu also emphasized to the Quadrangle that ASA’s community is not just for students with Asian backgrounds.
“[ASA] is for all Asians and anyone who’s interested in Asian culture in general.” Cheng Wu said. “So you don’t have to be Asian [to join].”
Students at the dumpling event shared their sentiments about ASA’s message. Thandi Hammonds, sophomore criminology major at MU, shared what the ASA community meant to her.
“When I hear ASA, I think about the Asian communities–and not even [just] Asians–but people coming together and celebrating their cultures and making new friends.” Hammonds said.
ASA encourages all students on MU’s campus to join them for upcoming events, support their fundraisers or just stop by to meet the community. The members emphasized that all students regardless of background are welcome to celebrate Asian heritage, all the same, through a variety of activities, fundraisers and more for the remainder of the fall semester and throughout the spring.