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The Lunar New Year Celebration was an event that required a lot of time and planning. It was a great experience working with the Office of Graduate and International Student Life and having meetings to thoroughly think of how we wanted the event to go. From the dinner to the performance aspect of the program, we did not want to leave anything out.

As the president of , I was honored to have taken part in helping create an event that shines a light on the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. I was astounded by the food that was made for dinner and how much it reminded me of home-cooked meals.

The entertainment of the paper-making art and the musician playing the erhu, the Chinese traditional instrument, was a great addition to the event. Students and faculty members were enjoying the night of festivities, and I was happy to see everyone enjoying the Lunar New Year Celebration.

Performing at the Lunar New Year Celebration is a highlight of my time thus far at the University of New Haven. I never performed my compositions in public before. If anything, I only played my original piano music for family and friends. To have the opportunity to perform in front of numerous people in Bucknall Theater was something I never thought I would do.

I initially thought I would be nervous; however, after calming down and thinking to myself “Dr. Yasuhara would tell me to breathe and relax,” I felt at ease performing. It was emotional with letting everything out and dedicating the two performances to the individual who helped shape AASU into the recognized student organization (RSO) that it is today: Dr. Yasuhara.

Bryan Cadavos ’23 is a genetics and biotechnology major at the University and president of the Asian American Student Union. Dr. Yasuhara passed away last month following a brief illness.