The Asian Student Conference returned with a night full of music and dance performances on Saturday, April 23. The nine performances showcased different aspects of culture and musical expression. 

“It felt exciting,” junior Ricky Pham of Chi Sigma Tau said. “Giving a show to the audience was really fun and just being yourself up there was cool too.”

The ASC members performed “Gái Miền Tây” by Vietnamese artist Duyên Dáng, “Need to know” by American rapper Doja Cat, “Déja Vu” by Kpop group Ateez and many other songs. 

Throughout rehearsals for their special stages, the ASC members mentioned how they encountered multiple struggles while preparing for their performances. 

Freshman Aleta Souphanh signed up for the event at the last minute and had little time to prepare. 

“This week has been a tough week for me. I was like ‘Oh do I want to perform again?’ or ‘Oh do I have enough time?” Souphanh said. “I decided that I might as well just do it because this is one of the only chances I have right now [to perform].” 

The stages were judged by the audience and five judges: Alicia Newell, Quang Nguyen, Richard Mai, Trang Bui and Taben Azad. The audience also had an opportunity to compete for a $10 Round1 gift card by doing the most pushups while votes were being tallied backstage.

The winners were announced and received certificates for their performances. Aleta Souphanh placed third, Chi Sigma Tau National Fraternity placed second, and KVersity placed first. 

“Winning feels great. We’ve performed here for the past three years but for us to actually get first place here – it’s like an achievement that we’ve always wanted to strive for,” senior Jennifer Dang of KVersity said. “It’s really satisfying to see everyone in-person, it just feels good to be here.”

The night concluded as the performers gathered their members and friends on stage for photos and hugs of celebration.

“I loved the show. I knew with all these performers – I know all these people and they’re super talented so I knew it was going to be a good show,” ASC coordinator Vivian Le said.