Returning for its 22nd year on the MSU campus, Cultural Vogue is a free cultural showcase open to the public each spring. Hosted by the Asian Pacific American Student Organization (APASO) with its affiliates and sponsors, the event saw student performances, cultural stories and dance groups performing live.
Hosted at the Wharton Center, the event welcomed all students, parents and the general public. The Wharton’s stage has been a gateway for students and respective organizations to house theatrical and captivating art forms. This year, the event featured Sarah Seo and Darrian Chen as student hosts to introduce the segments.
“Through shared stories and creative expression including dance, skit and song, this Cultural Vogue aims to inspire a sense of pride, unity and empowerment; impacting ourselves and our collective identities,” the hosts shared. Families and friends alike gathered together to share and experience these performances.
Before the segments began, Hanaa Yoo of the Cultural Vogue committee opened with a statement directed at the student body highlighting the importance of students educating themselves on different histories. She also expressed the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) committee’s encouragement of MSU staff to attend their events and take an Asian American studies course. At the end of her speech, Yoo emphasized the importance of the event and what it stood for.
“Who knows the saying ‘Go Green, Go White?’” Yoo prompted the crowd. “It should be a chant in celebration of student school spirit, not the mindset of the university.”
In light of President Trump’s recent executive order retracting support relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, MSU administration canceled (and later rescheduled) the Chinese Lunar New Year event for 2025. Events like these can be important to the student body, especially those who can only celebrate on campus. Similar to the western New Year, the Chinese Lunar New Year is an opportunity for loved ones and communities to celebrate and spend time together. Canceling events under the executive order impacts Chinese and other celebrating students and staff, such as Yoo and those involved in Cultural Vogue, as it withdraws support from cultural groups and their traditions on campus.
The show included a brief intermission for guests before the second segment. Custom-made keychains, sweaters, totes, stickers and shirts were raffled off for guests. The performances put on by student performers highlighted the importance of representing diverse cultures.
“I found it fun that they [Cultural Vogue] have cultural dances but also modern ones,” Thara Eisingerich says about their experience as a student performer. “People should cherish this. Many don’t know about Thai or Chinese art, only their food.”
Events like the Cultural Vogue aim to help with showcasing dance and story, all important for students looking for an opportunity to share, appreciate and educate others on traditional art forms and ways of living.
