“It’s a great platform for anyone and everybody to come and express themselves and show off their talents,” said Darin Villeza, the upcoming co-coordinator and last year’s MC for Culture Shock, put on by the Asian and Pacific American Student Union. 

Culture Shock is back this year for its 23rd annual night on Sunday, May 21 from 6–8:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union ballroom. 

This year’s theme is the classics of APASU, the art of deception and “the city that never sleeps” to go along with the semi-formal or cultural attire. 

The community event is organized by APASU and will feature performances from the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities at Oregon State University.  

“I think it’s important we host it every year because it does help showcase what our community has to offer,” said Kaylin Chan, the public relations officer for APASU.

People can expect amazing food and a wide variety of performances from groups such as Kinetic K Pop and Bust Crew, soloists Katie Huynh and Skyler Kim, a skit put on by the officers from APASU, an art gallery and a fashion show at the end of the night. 

Villeza helped with the writing and planning process for this year’s skit and is excited to see the audience’s reaction. 

“I can divulge that it’s kind of like Romeo and Juliet with a twist, ” Villeza said. 

The event has been in the planning process since fall term, as it is one of the biggest events of the year for APASU.

Submissions for performances open two months in advance, and people are given a month to submit a description of the act, including who is in the group and what they want to do. The performances are reviewed, and the team creates a lineup for the night. 

Chan estimates there were over 100 people helping to organize the event, including committees, volunteers and everyone else involved. 

This year Chan is specifically helping out on the decoration committee, and in addition to helping write the script for the skit, Villeza assisted head coordinator Paul Nyguen, in running meetings. 

 “I’m excited to see the whole thing come together,” Chan said.

If you need any disability accommodations for the event, reach out to Kaylin Chan at [email protected] for anything from dietary restrictions and sight accommodations to wheelchair access. 

Tickets are already sold out, but if you are interested in watching, there will be a livestream link on their Instagram, @apasu_osu, and the show will be posted to their YouTube channel, OSU APASU @osuapasu5008, shortly after. 

“We look forward to seeing you now and hopefully next year,” Villeza said.