During the week of September 29, 2025, Union College celebrated Asia Week for the second year in a row. The week featured a variety of daily events celebrating Asian culture and arts, ranging from Chinese paper cutting to a Mongolian fusion folk band. The events were organised by the Asian Studies Department.
Professor Sherri Lullo, Associate Professor of Art History and Director of Asian Studies, stated that the department originally had two goals while planning Asia Week: “to honour the legacy of Professor Don Thurston, one of the founders of our program, whose commitment to promoting the study of Asia and generous support helped make this possible” and “to bring together students and faculty in a shared celebration of Asia’s rich histories, cultures, and contemporary perspectives.”
The week kicked off inside the Nott Memorial, with Korean-American author Ed Park delivering his talk “K-Pop Demon Hunting: How I Wrote Same Bed Different Dreams (With a Side Trip to Atlantis).” The talk was the second annual Professor Donald R. Thurston Memorial Lecture, established to honor the department’s founder. During the lecture, Park delved into his creative process, the phenomenon of Hallyu, and how experiences of the Korean War and of the Korean diaspora permeate his work.
The week of events continued on October 1st with a Chinese Paper Cutting Workshop with Jianling Yue of Asia Arts New York, a local nonprofit committed to promoting Asian heritage through the arts. The workshop included a brief overview of the art of paper cutting, including the meanings behind certain colors and motifs. After learning how to cut the Chinese character for double happiness, attendees had the opportunity to cut out their own designs.
On the night of October 2nd, the Tuvergen Band came to Emerson Auditorium. The fusion folk trio brought their Mongolian melodies to campus, including traditional aspects of Mongolian music such as throat-singing and horsehead fiddles. Band members also introduced and explained components of Mongolian music to the audience throughout the set.
The week concluded with two events on October 3rd. The first event was a talk from artist Patty Hudak on Mokuhanga, a style of Japanese woodblock painting. The talk also included her experiences as an artist who had lived in both China and Japan, and how her time in Asia had personally influenced her work. The second event, held in Mrs. Perkins Garden, was a get-together between the Asian Studies Department faculty, students, and Asian student groups on campus.
This year’s Asia Week was a huge success like last year’s, with a healthy turnout from students and fun events that celebrated Asia’s rich and diverse cultures. Professor Lullo and the Asian Studies Department hope to plan more events that highlight South, Southeast, Central, and West Asia for next year’s Asia Week that the Union Community should stay tuned for.
