DeKALB – The Asian American Resource Center held its Welcome Night, which featured Asian cuisine, performances and resources to learn more about Asian culture.

The welcome night occurred from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Regency Room of the Holmes Student Center.

The event was originally scheduled to be held at MLK Commons but was moved indoors due to rain.

The event was open to all students and staff; tables lined the walls and offered activities like bracelet making and table tennis. To add to the ambiance, there were music and a dance floor. The stage was also used for performances, including a dance performed by K-Pop cover group, c3lestial.covers.

The event was created to showcase Asian culture and allow students to experience cultures different from their own.

This year, Mya Stroup, the programming coordinator of the Asian American Resource Center and head organizer for the event, added new aspects to the event and took inspiration from the University of Illinois’ Asian night market for the layout.

“I just like to put out ways to immerse other students into Asian American culture or Asian culture at NIU,” Stroup said.

Senior human development major KaLilah Chears explained why she thinks attending cultural events like this are important.

“I want to explore other cultures, understand the different cultural resources around campus that are different from mine,” Chears said.

The Asian American Welcome Night created an atmosphere of cultural pride and excitement. Students of different cultures were able to come together and celebrate Asian culture.