On Sept. 28th, NYU Shanghai Student Government hosted its annual Dumpling Festival, inviting all NYU Shanghai students and faculty to enjoy 10,000 dumplings. The event was hosted in the B1 cafeteria, where students engaged in games, dumpling making classes, and of course lots of eating. Student Government planned a wide array of things to do, from dumpling pong, dumpling relay races, and fan painting, to “disgusting dumpling” eating contests. In addition to activities, a variety of dumpling merchandise, including pillows and keychains, were available for purchase. The 10,000 dumplings proved to be a hit, as students lined up all they way around the cafeteria for xiao long bao, tang yuan, mochi, jiao zi, Indian samosas, zong zi, and a student favorite, Yang’s Dumplings. Student Government managed to run out of all 10,000. The event was a great success; students loved the creative activities and obviously, the free dumplings. Dumpling pong in particular sparked a lot of positive feedback. “Dumpling pong was the best three hours of fun and gaining weight. I ate too many dumplings,” said freshman Evelyn Patrell-Fazio, a student government member who helped work the dumpling pong station. Another fan favorite were the dumpling pillows, which sold out in some sizes. “I didn’t even eat one dumpling, I don’t like them, but the pillows were so cute I had to buy one,” said freshman Mario Lazzo. Student Government also organized a raffle for two Sherpas gift cards and had Chope, an online reservation company, give away free merchandise while advertising their services. Overall, Dumpling Festival was a fun way for the NYU Shanghai community to unwind leading into fall break. The only piece of advice for next year from students? More dumplings. This article was written by Isabel Adler. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: NYU Shanghai