The Vietnamese Student Association at Oregon State University will be hosting their 50th annual culture show in the Memorial Union Ballroom on March 5.

According to Kytan Van, the marketing coordinator with VSA, “The culture show in the past has always been about showcasing our Vietnamese heritage through skits, dance performances and singing.”

Therefore, this year’s culture show is going to be a special one, as Christina Nguyen, the president of the VSA notes, “It’s our 50th annual show, so it’s a big year.”

In preparation for the show, HongAn Le, an officer with VSA, has been working with the decoration committee to execute their plans in bringing their visions to life.

Le said, “The decoration committees are proud to showcase our creativity to our general members and families.”

On Saturday, March 5, doors will open at 5 p.m. at the Student Experience Center Plaza, where ahead of the show, the association will be serving a full course meal. Following the dinner, the show is set to begin between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets to the event are sold out at the time of publication.

The dinner will feature a Vietnamese menu. For the main dish, there will be a rice plate with the option of either a lemongrass chicken or a shaking tofu vegetarian option. Both meals will be served with pickled carrots and radishes. The side will be garlic fried morning glory. The dessert, a banana coconut tapioca pudding, and for the drink, jasmine tea.

In terms of the show, Van teased, “I can’t say too specific because that’s spoiling it.” She did say that since it’s the 50th annual show, it’s going to be big.

Nguyen gave a little more insight adding, “The skit is written by another officer and I and it touches upon one’s self-identity, generation differences and the Vietnamese refugee boat experience.”

As for the other performances, the songs and choreography for the dances are all created by the members, according to Nguyen.

For members of the VSA, having the 50th annual show means a lot to them both personally and culturally.

“It’s a long tradition,” said Van. She noted that the continuation of such a long tradition in the club is, “very honorable, it’s very looked up upon.”

Nguyen talked about the excitement of coming back from COVID-19 isolation and having new members that have never experienced a culture show on campus. She talked about how the culture show is a way to showcase all the members’ hard work and for being resilient coming back from isolation.

Nguyen also added that the show helps to showcase to VSA members their identity as Vietnamese Americans. She hopes it inspires them to continue on their journeys of learning about their identity, and the Vietnamese community in OSU and Corvallis.

“This year’s culture show is something I’ll forever remember and treasure!” Le said, adding that being in the club since freshman year has allowed her to witness how much the club has grown. She said the experience has been ‘heartfelt.’

Le added she looks forward to seeing the enjoyment of attendees and making guests and family proud of the show. “I am excited to bring Vietnamese culture to everyone and take pride in this with the people who are attending our show as well,” she said.

Although Le noted that every year has something special, she said, “I would call this our golden year.”

Van added, “It’s gonna be a lot of fun.”