Asian Awareness Weekend 2005 attempted to bridge the gap between the multiple races and cultures on campus and throughout the world. Through activities, workshops and performances, small elements of Asian culture were presented.
AAW began on Friday with Night Market. The Night Market was a collaborative effort by most of the Asian clubs and organizations on campus to present the food, games, music, and style of their native land. Filled with many tables, each representing a different organization/country, the atmosphere was festive and had a vivid display of Asian culture. Though intriguing, one downfall to this event was that the experience was brief because of the limited number of tables to visit.
The weekend continued with a compilation of workshops entitled “Breaking Down the Barriers.” There were four workshops hosted by former Archer Center Educator Gesice Ly. These workshops addressed the issues of Asian Americans as depicted in the media, Asian American identity and myths, as well as the question of whether Asian American leaders exist in America today.
Asian Night, which encompassed music, dance, skits, and food, followed Night Market and the workshops. The event, which was set to begin at 7 pm, took place in the West Hall auditorium.
At 7:30 pm, the show had still not begun. Much of the audience sat listening, dancing, and singing along to the music played by the DJ to the right of the stage. There was practically a full house; students from other universities and many RPI students came to support Asian Night.
To minimize the feeling of despair growing amongst the audience due to the delay, two students took the stage and began break dancing to entertain the crowd. Taking turns, they showcased their styles and hyped the crowd even more. They were later joined by other students who also began break dancing. The audience cheered and applauded every unique move that was made.
After about ten more minutes the show finally began. With the beating of drums and elaborate costumes, the first act, the “Lion Dance,” advanced from the back of the room to the stage. Everyone stared attentively at the pronounced movements and heart-pounding drums. This was surely an amazing way to begin the show; it was lively, graceful and a traditional element in Chinese culture.
The opening act was followed by a comedy skit presented by Hong Kong Student Association. In this skit, entitled “Temple Street,” two young men in both their past and reincarnated lives presented the idea that reincarnation justifies life from every action we take. This presentation was both hilarious and meaningful.
Following “Temple Street” was a dance performance by students representing the Indian Student Association. “Rock your Body,” as this dance was appropriately named, was an upbeat mixture of contemporary and traditionally Indian dance movements. This performance was well coordinated, had few mistakes, and surely hyped the audience and left them wanting more.
A traditional Chinese dance followed. “Fan Dance,” presented by the Chinese American Student Association, was a beautiful display of colors and cultural style. With large pink and green fans, the dancers not only coordinated amazingly, but also created a beautiful visual with the colors and fans used.
Next, the Korean Student Association presented Bryan Kim. Kim, who rapped a popular Korean song, was amazingly talented. Though much of the audience couldn’t understand the lyrics to the song, language was not a barrier between the talent Kim displayed and the audience. This performance surely left the crowd chanting and applauding this notable musician.
After this performance, students from the Philippine American League performed “Singkil Dance.” Using bamboo poles and other props, the “Singkil Dance” recounts the legend of the “Darangon” of the Maranao people of Mindanao.
The audience sat in silence as a princess, caught in the forest during an earthquake, was rescued by the prince. This was a very soothing dance. The performers undoubtedly presented one of the most unique performances of the night.
After a fifteen minute intermission, the show resumed. There were many more performances by various different organizations. The AAW Crew did a modern dance, Pi Delta Psi presented a hilarious skit entitled “Natural Enemies,” the Malaysian Student Association did the “Asmaradana” dance, which may have been the most coordinated and intriguing act. The Indian Student Association concluded the performance with another dance.
Next came a brief fashion show. Clothing representative of the various different regions in Asia was presented. Traditional wear, a personal collection designed by RPI student Wendy Lew, sleepwear, and celebrity clothing were shown on stage.
Asian Night was surely a fun experience. All the performances intertwined culture and style. All the events throughout AAW 2005 were not just fun and informative, but the proceeds from these will be donated toward the ongoing relief effort in South Asia.
