Posted on November 5, 2007
One could dig a hole to China, but the Asian Student Union (ASU) will be bringing Asia to JMU this week.
“It’s different in that we wanted to bring all the events to be more educational and raise awareness [of the Asian culture],” said senior ASU External Vice President Lizzy Nguyen.
Co-director senior Stephen Santayana said that the organizers want to keep the week’s topic oriented to share more about Asian culture.
“There’s nothing wrong with the way it’s been done in the past,” he said, adding that this year they’re just trying to make the events more education-oriented.
Santayana said ASU Culture Week has come a long way since it began three years ago.
“Each year its progressed more and more, this year we’ve really worked all together,” he said. “[We’re] trying to make the whole week bigger than it ever has been.”
The organizations involved include the Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean Student Associations. The Center for Multicultural Student Services is sponsoring the events.
The ninth annual ASU Culture Show will be the week’s finale on Sat. at 7:30 p.m. in Wilson Hall Auditorium. This year’s theme is “ReUnited.”
“We came up with ‘ReUnited’ because it’s a combination of past and present Asian heritage and present American heritage,” said co-director of ASU Culture Week junior Leanne Carpio.
The show will feature traditional Asian dances, singing, skits and dances. This year elementary and middle-school aged kids from Valley Adopt, a nonprofit support network of families in the Shennandoah Valley with adopted Asian children, will participate in a fashion show wearing traditional Asian outfits.
Junior Nammy Nguyen wants the week to be educational.
“I hope they will learn more about Asian culture,” she said, “There’s so much to a culture and history and we are trying to highlight it by showing Infernal Affairs, the traditional dances and integrate it to the American culture.”
Sophomore Shannon Banks thinks the week will break down stereotypes.
“I think it’s great because all of us come from different backgrounds and families and some grow up in small towns and many not be exposed to different cultures,” she said.
Sophomore Megan Ashby said that she is most looking forward to trying the Asian cuisine.
“I want to be involved because I want to learn more about Asian culture, I don’t know too much,” she said, “I think it will be interesting to eat Asian food at D-Hall and learn how to use chopsticks.”
Santayana said although there was hard work involved, he’s looking forward to the outcome.
“It’s been really fun and its good leadership and organizational practice ,” he said. “I hope to make it as good as past years and progress.”
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