From Asia to Logan: Asian Student Association brings culture to USU
While fall semester at Utah State University is traditionally known for football games and homecoming activities, the Asian Student Association added a cultural experience to the autumn activity line-up.
On Friday evening, the Taggart Student Center patio was lit with lanterns in honor of USU’s first autumn festival, an activity sponsored by the Asian Student Association.
“Our motivation for this festival was to reach out to our Asian roots, but with a modern twist,” said Natalie Norton, president of the Asian Student Association.
Norton said the Mid-Autumn Festival, or Harvest Moon, is traditionally a holiday in Asia where friends and family gather to eat food and look at the full moon, the roundness of which symbolizes togetherness.
This is the association’s first year putting on this type of large and inclusive event.
In the past, there has been a banquet and a formal show to celebrate the Asian cultures. This year, Norton said, the students wanted the event to be more interactive while including more diversity around campus.
“We needed to try something different and new because the banquet became very obvious and routine — like, we just didn’t want to be bound by that,” said David Chamorro, vice president of the Asian Student Association. “We felt that this festival is something that would leave a new trademark for the association.”
The festival was complete with modern music, games, foods and elements of Asian tradition. A local sushi chef even made sushi for the attendees.
In addition to sushi and Thai curry, little-known cuisines were introduced to the Logan residents, such as bubble tea, taiyaki and shrimp chips.
“It was a really relaxed atmosphere for people to walk around, grab some street foods and play or watch at their leisure,” Norton said.
The activities, food and performances were from a variety of Asian cultures. Bubble tea is initially a Taiwane drink; Taiyaki is a Japanese fish-shaped cake; the shrimp chips originated in Southwest and Eastern Asia.
“I personally enjoy those foods, so I loved to see what my peers also think about it,” Chamorro said.
The night was filled with singing, dancing, slam poetry and a taiko drumming performance that involved the whole crowd. Meanwhile, multiple games were set up, including a taiko drumming video game, a water balloon fishing game and a rubber band shooting gallery.
“I have seen the festivals in Korea and Japan, so thinking back on those memories brings me great joy, and to think we can possibly create an ongoing tradition for the people of Logan and USU makes me excited,” Chamorro said. “I hope we bring more to the Asian community here and a greater interest and appreciation for the culture.”
The Asian Student Association included other clubs and ethnicities in planning and volunteering for the event. The Interfaith Student Association had a booth set up about Buddhism, Love Is For Everyone (LIFE) ran a beanbag toss game, the Latino Student Union set up a bingo game and the Native American Student Council did a ring toss.
“This has impacted me in a strong way of learning to create an event from scratch and build a base for it,” Norton said. “It has been a great experience to be a part of all of this. I hope for USU it leaves an imprint of showing students they have the power to create and be creative. I would love it if the event could inspire someone to do something great and create their own work for USU or anything they do in life.”
More information about the USU Asian Student Association can be found on their Facebook page.
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