Emulating a decades-old Vietnamese variety show, the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) welcomed more than 100 students to its second annual banquet on Friday.
The banquet — themed “Paris By Night” — was based on a classic Vietnamese-American show which traditionally features performances by Vietnamese celebrities. Students dressed formally and lined up outside Old Union Hall for the event, which cost $7 and featured live singing and dancing performances, a fashion show with members of VSA as models and dinner from Great China Buffet.
Kenny Blando, president of the VSA and a senior majoring in economics, said they hosted the banquet to celebrate Vietnamese culture while also offering an escape from school responsibilities through a variety of entertainment.
“I chose ‘Paris by Night’ because it is indeed a traditional Vietnamese musical variety show, yet it doesn’t limit the array of performances that can be displayed,” Blando said. “It allows us to not only showcase Vietnamese culture, but it also gives us a free range of options in which we can showcase multiple talents.”
Lynn Le, the VSA event coordinator and a junior majoring in psychology, described “Paris by Night” as an event that successfully mimicked traditional performances by various celebrities.
“It’s an American-Vietnamese musical variety show,” Le said. “Essentially, it features many Vietnamese celebrities who enact a variety of different kinds of performances.”
Maria Lee, one of the performers and a freshman majoring in biology, played the ukulele and performed songs including “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5. She said the event was not only a way to express herself through music, but it was also a way to get in touch with her roots.
“I’m Vietnamese and I grew up watching and experiencing certain ‘Paris by Night’ performances,” Lee said. “I learned to sing and play by watching YouTube videos, and I was happy to be able to contribute to an event that holds personal cultural value to me. Events like these are special because they give one a small sense of home and the fact that others share in this collective feeling makes it all the more enjoyable.”
Other performances included tricks with a Chinese yo-yo and a video that poked fun at contemporary Vietnamese love song videos, enacted by the VSA E-Board. The final performance featured a choreographed dance, which was met with a standing ovation.
Alex Ching, president of Asian Outlook and a junior majoring in mathematics, said he had been excited for the event and was happy he was able to attend and support the banquet.
“These events help certain cultural and minority groups represent themselves in a positive light,” Ching said. “One of the ways this is done is through the sharing of cultural experiences such as food and live performances. The event just shows [the VSA’s] enthusiasm and vibrant spirit for their culture.”