The Vietnamese Student Association hosted its annual Mid-Autumn Festival on Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. on the University Center lawn. The celebration featured food, performances and activities that highlighted Vietnamese culture.
“It’s an event that we celebrate mid-fall, and we celebrate our own culture with a fan dance or a lion dance,” said Bryan Vo, external vice president of the Vietnamese Student Association.
Festival activities included lantern painting, K-pop dance performances and a Sacred Heart lion dance.
“The best thing we can do is come out here and show them how it’s done and show them how we celebrate,” said Justin Vu, a senior biology student at the University of Memphis.
Alongside the cultural showcases, the Astronomy Club set up a telescope station where attendees could view the moon and stars.
“The Vietnamese Student Association invited us out to collaborate, so we came out here, set up the telescope and let everyone look at the moon and just have a wonderful time,” said Kenneth Rymanowicz, president of the Astronomy Club.
Many Vietnamese students said they hoped participants left with both enjoyment and a deeper understanding of their heritage.
“I hope they take away the culture and always remember that this is about family and friends,” said Ty Ngo, a sophomore studying creative mass media.
The Vietnamese Student Association’s next event, VSA By Night: Paris by Night Edition, will take place Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. in the UC River Room. The evening will feature games, music and community in a night of fun inspired by the iconic Paris by Night show.
Darien Anderson can be contacted at djndrsn8@memphis.edu.
