NYU Abu Dhabi’s annual Mid-Autumn Festival celebration took place on Oct. 5 in the A5B lounge. The festival, also known as the Moon Festival, originates from China and occurs when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. It brings family and friends together for thanksgiving and praying for good fortune. The traditions and myths that surround the Moon Festival are different for every culture. Outside of China, the festival is widely celebrated in Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines and Korea.

The festival was hosted by three Student Interest Groups, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Chinese Cultural Club and Dongari, who contributed a variety of Asian food and treats.

“The Mid-Autumn Festival brings us back home as this is a family reunion occasion. So, we really hope that bringing the celebration on campus will help students feel at home, connect with their own family and hopefully with their own cultures. As we have a diverse population on campus, we really want to invite other people to join us in this special festival of the year, and extend that feeling of a NYUAD family," said ASEAN’s Treasurer Hanh Van Nguyen, Class of 2020.

On Oct. 4, dorms buzzed with noise as students woke to emails detailing their final study away decisions. First- and second-year students received confirmation of their acceptance to their Spring 2018 study away semesters. The excitement didn’t end there — in the same afternoon January Term course placements were posted on Albert.

One of this year’s most exciting course additions is Re-Performing Death, which includes a trip to Japan. On the NYUAD Forum Facebook Page, a poll was created to track where NYUAD students will head to for their upcoming J-term. Many announced their destination with great excitement on social media platforms like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook.

On Oct. 6, the Association of South Asian Cultural Understanding hosted the Nepali festival Dashain for the first time. The event involved a night of card games, dance, music and Nepali dishes. Dashain is one of Nepal’s most popular festivals. It is celebrated over a twelve-day period and commemorates the victory of good over evil.

The event’s special dish was momo, a type of dumpling filled with chicken. The event attracted over 200 attendees — a huge number for a first-time event. Shivani Mishra, Class of 2020, was happy to see the event’s success.

“This event was not only important to us [Nepali students] because we wanted to share our culture with the NYUAD community for the very first time but also because it served as an opportunity for us to interact with the Nepali staff on campus. Despite the limited budget, we were able to have fun with both staff and students, which was great,” said Mishra.