By Minh Anh Phan ’22
As one of the most celebrated cultural events on campus happening every spring semester, Asian Gala this year was held at Larison Dining Hall on Saturday, the 30th of March. Around 5 pm, the atmosphere of Larison Hall had been heating up as students started to line up to purchase tickets and attend the gala.
Asian Gala is hosted by Students for Asian Awareness at Bucknell (SAAB) annually as its signature event. With the vision to raise awareness of the Asian culture at Bucknell, SAAB runs large, annual, campus-wide events, such as the Asian Gala, along with other activities as well. These serve as an opportunity for the larger community to understand the Asian culture, and facilitate a chance for various organizations to collaborate together to celebrate the Asian community as a whole, while still respecting the subtle differences in different countries.
Upon entering the Larison dining hall, the audience could see vibrant flags of Asian countries hung up on every wall, aesthetic lanterns hung down from the ceiling, and red decorations set in the middle of the dining table. The theme of this year was Traditions and Mythical Folklore, which intended to share the intricate Asian myths, songs, dances that some students hold dear to their heart. With the hall fully packed, the night featured performances ranging from cultural dances to plays retelling the traditional myths and folklores. At the middle of the event, students and faculty had a chance to dine on special Asian food carefully made with concern to different people’s dietary restrictions.
To see all different cultural organization collaborate with the same goal to celebrate one’s own ethnic heritage, promote inclusion and diversity on campus was such a mesmerizing experience. As an audience, one might be amazed at the elegance of the cultural dance, the fineness of the music, and the charm of the traditional myths. I consider myself really fortunate to have been able to attend the event, and I highly encourage other students, faculty, and staff, to come and support these events. The events are captivating and will leave one in awe.