Update:  Check out our post-event webpage

GAM

presents as part of its

GAMetta Stone series

C.C.N.Y. University

“Enrich your opportunities at C.C.N.Y. by raising your global IQ.”

Come Celebrate New Year 

by sharing our university of 

Countless Cultures in New York.  

Students are invited to come celebrate all the various nations and regions of the world represented at C.C.N.Y.   Our goal is to offer our huge diverse population an opportunity to get to know one another--to share images, music, dress, and culinary samples of the communities here at the C.C.N.Y. culminating in the excitement of New Year’s Eve.  Experience it all through what we all share in common--celebrating the new year! 

Plan:  Tables will be set up to create a common space between them (e.g., in a circle or half moon).  Each table will be decorated for a different iconic new year’s eve, e.g., Tokyo, Hong Kong, Cairo, Rome, Paris, Berlin, London, Rio de Janeiro, New York.  Our student party-goers will visit the tables to sample the sounds, sights and tastes of new year’s eve as celebrated by that culture, including learning to count down in their language.  A caller will announce every ten minutes which table will be celebrating new year’s eve in 60 seconds.  Party-goers will focus their attention on celebrating as they learned, counting down together, cheering as customary, and dancing to traditional music being played.

Timing:  Practically speaking, students will mill around the tables on this schedule:

12:00 → Tables are decorated for an iconic new year’s eve; party-goers begin milling about these tables, sampling, learning and smiling.

12:30 → First call for new year’s eve to begin in 5 mins at <blank> table.    (We can really make this fun by inviting a CCNY official like the President to pull numbers from GAM’s party hat indicating which table.)  Every party-goer is encouraged to turn their attention to that table to learn how to count down, say happy new year, dance or whatever is iconic of that culture represented at that table.  

12:35 → Caller signals 60 seconds to new year and the table readies party-goers to count down the last 10 seconds to declaring “Happy New Year!” and invites students to dance to one iconic new year’s eve song.

12:40 → Second call for new year’s eve to begin in 5 mins at <blank> table....

12:45 → Caller signals 60 seconds to new year....

12:50 → Third call for new year’s eve to begin in 5 mins at <blank> table....

12:55 → Caller signals 60 seconds to new year....

1:10 → Fourth call for new year’s eve to begin in 5 mins at <blank> table....

1:15 → Caller signals 60 seconds to new year....

1:20 → Fifth call for new year’s eve to begin in 5 mins at <blank> table....

1:25 → Caller signals 60 seconds to new year....

1:30 → Sixth call for new year’s eve to begin in 5 mins at <blank> table....

1:35 → Caller signals 60 seconds to new year....

Mechanics:  Each table is the responsibility of the club(s) assigned to it.  If at all possible, we would like clubs to pair up when their iconic new year is/could be the same.  Each table needs:

• table cloth,
• club literature (opportunity to market yourselves),
• NYE decorations (huge date sign, dragons, Old Father Time, Baby New Year, or whatever Hallmark suggests ;D), 
• NYE pictures (from a coffee table book or personal celebration pictures flashing on a laptop screen), 
• signs (explaining NYE:  when and how it is celebrated--newsflash! we all don’t have the same calendar),
• flash cards (of how to pronounce “10-1” countdown and “Happy New Year” or whatever is said in that culture),
• boom box (to play music for one dance after screaming “Happy New Year”),
• tapas (potato chips (Ireland), pretzels (Germany), pita chips (middle east)--be creative),
• costumes (party hats, fun glasses, or any other iconic garb),
• what else?

Step One:  Reach out, Unite, Prepare

GAM invites language clubs and other organizations with cultural themes to decorate a table in the style of their most iconic new year celebration.  

GAM asks to partner with (rallying through our Facebook event page):

1. the languages department to highlight the wealth of languages; and
2. the international service offices to highlight the rich diversity of our university.

Step Two:  Teach, Join In, Revel

GAM invites all the students, staff and faculty to Come Celebrate New Year, going around the world counting down from ten in the regional language while enjoying regional dances, music, tapas and toasts.  

Learning Outcomes:  When they Come Celebrate New Years, party-goers will:

1. say the count down from ten to the new year in foreign languages;
2. hear traditional music of each New Year’s celebration;
3. taste great food from around the world;
4. see regional costumes like party hats and souvenir glasses; and
5. feel proud of our university at C.C.N.Y. all culminating in the excitement of New Year’s Eve.

For more information:  

rally through our Facebook event page; or email GAM.CCNY@gmail.com; and short url to this page is http://goo.gl/I7Gyc.