The Memorial Union ballroom was electric with laughter, cheering, and smiles as performances of all kinds took to the stage at the 25th annual Asian and Pacific American Student Union’s Culture Shock A-list awards event.
On May 18, dance groups, musical performances, comedy sketches, and a small fashion show showcased the art of cultures from across the eastern hemisphere. The event saw the ballroom filled.
Dance performances included a variety of styles, from a Vietnamese group whose routine concluded with dancers revealing the letters “BBBUSTY” on their chests, to dynamic K-pop numbers, Indian dance routines, and traditional Pacific Islander performances.
The musical performances showcased a similar range, featuring a string ensemble, several solos and duets, and various bands. K-pop music blended with dance, and the selections represented a rich mix of music from numerous countries.
One of the musicians, Hanna Ghiasinejad, sang a Persian song with fellow musician and pianist Niku Edlund-Farsade, who also danced with another group later in the evening. According to Ghiasinejad, she started listening to Persian music at a young age with her family and has been involved in several choirs over the years. The A-list event was her first solo performance, and she was happy with how it turned out.
“I’ve actually never really sung solo in front of anybody. And I was sort of like, whoa. But it just means so much to perform with my friend, that we can do it together, and it’s just been kind of surreal. I can’t believe I did it, right now, and I’m still alive.”
She also has immense appreciation for Persian music and her Persian culture and hopes attendees and others will see more of it.
“Persian culture is so rich and beautiful. And I feel that Iran is always portrayed as this horrible place, you know, like terrorists come from there, blah, blah, blah, but that’s just the government.” Ghiasinejad said. “But Iran itself, in Persian culture, is so beautiful, the poetry, the song, the heart and passion of like, everybody. I wish more people knew about that side of it.”
The evening was rounded off with comedy routines, including a long-running gag about the “Backstage Crew” breaking the A-list trophy and struggling to find a way to put it back together.
Comedic commentary extended to the event’s announcers, whose gimmicks included throwing a Clorox bottle across the stage and an eating “contest” where presenter Phillip showcased his ability to eat four tangerines in two bites to a large audience’s applause.
Anis Mustaffa and Hazel Segismar have been trying to attend every cultural event this year to complete their signature event passports before leaving graduate school. The A-list event was the next stop on their cultural event tour and they also came to support their friend in the Kinetic dance group. Both enjoyed the event.
“Getting introduced to so many different cultures and having it in one night is crazy.” Mustaffa said.
Segismar agreed with Mustaffa. She noted that she particularly enjoyed the BBBUSTY boys and Ghiasinejad’s Persian singing performance.
“I hope everybody enjoyed the night tonight, and then, I hope that more students come next year,” Segismar said.
More information about the Asian and Pacific American Student Union and its upcoming events can be found on their Instagram account.
