While wandering around this semester’s Spring Student Involvement Fair in the Rat, I found myself overwhelmed with all the different student organizations BC has to offer. In my opinion, some of the most overlooked groups on campus are the culture clubs that constitute Asian Caucus: Chinese Student Association (CSA), Japan Club Boston College (JCBC), Korean Student Association (KSA), Philippine Society of Boston College (PSBC), South Asian Student Association (SASA), South East Asian Student Association (SEASA), Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), and Taiwanese Cultural Organization (TCO).
Most people often dismiss these clubs thinking, “Oh, I’m not Asian, I could never be a part of this club.” Au contraire. While the majority of members in these organizations are of Asian descent, these organizations are more accurately described as culture interest groups and are not contained to only Asian students. All you really need is to share an interest for learning more and have a willingness to experience the culture to be a part of Asian Caucus.
JCBC’s face-in-the-hole photo booth
I’m not going to lie, even though I am of Asian descent I tend to associate more with my American counterpart. It’s gotten to the point where my friends refer to me as “slightly” or “vaguely Asian.” However, the culture show is the one event I do every year because I love it. Even though it gets pretty crazy with the few, short weeks we have to learn all the choreography and put together an entire show, it’s brought me together with so many people that share an interest for Asian cultures.
CSA and KSA’s modern dance performance
With the excitement of culture show season approaching, what better time is there to get involved or to see what these culture groups are all about? For most of the groups, the culture show is their biggest event of year. It incorporates both traditional and modern acts giving members the opportunity to try something new and showcase their culture. Culture shows are considered to be the one time of the year when the majority of the entire membership comes together to create something extraordinary.
In the next few months, there will be a series of culture shows that the performers have been preparing for several weeks. Click next to see what’s coming up!
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On February 8 at 8 p.m. in Robsham, SASA will open the culture show season with the show, Apna Zamana, It’s Our Time. The club aims to showcase South East Asian culture in a series of colorful group and individual performances, which include both singing and dancing. Each year, SASA donates its proceeds from the show to a local charity in Boston. This year, they are giving to Saheli, “an organization dedicated to supporting South Asian women and families in the Greater Boston area.” Tickets are $10 and are available online and at Robsham THIS WEEK!
SASA’s Bhangra dance performance
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The following weekend, February 15 at 3 p.m. (to avoid conflict with the ALC Ball) in Robsham, both CSA and KSA come together for their culture show, The Jade Awards. This show is typically divided into the Chinese performances and the Korean performances, both of which feature contemporary acts and traditional acts, such as the Chinese Dragon dance and Korean Talchum, with a “twist of modern day pop culture.” However, this year’s show is structured a little differently; in addition to a celebration of both Chinese and Korean cultures, the show is also a competition with the best act winning the Jade Award. The CSA/KSA culture is especially dear to my heart because this is the show I will be performing in! I’ll be in the C-POP (like K-POP, but Chinese) and Tae Kwon Do (a Korean martial art) performances. Tickets go on sale on February 10th online and at Robsham for $10.
CSA/KSA’s Korean Fans performancep
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The following month on March 22 (time and location TBD), the PSBC Then and Now culture show will take place in the middle of their Friends and Family Weekend. The week of the performance, the group has organized a series of events, including a banquet, arts and crafts night, and a Filipino Mass and reception. Some of the more popular acts for the show include Cariñosa (the Philippine National dance), Tinikling (a dance involving jumping through bamboo sticks), and Maglalatik (a dance involving shirtless males and coconuts). PSBC has also invited guest performers from Iskwelahang Pilipino’s Rondalla (IP), a local Phillipine elementary school that teaches children about their culture.
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SEASA’s show, (Date and location TBD – around late March/early April), encompasses performances not only by students, but also guests from other colleges, such as Brandeis, and even local high schools. All the acts, most popularly the modern and traditional dances, are tied together by a skit based on the theme of the show. For example, last year’s theme was a dating show.
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To round out AC’s culture show season, on April 5th (Time and location TBD), JCBC will present its culture show. In comparison to the other performances, JCBC’s Harumatsuri or Spring Festival is more of a festival atmosphere as the name would suggest. The culture show features dance and musical acts, as well as my personal favorite, Swords and Fans. JCBC invites outside performers as well. In the past, they have had breakdancers, taiko (Japanese drum) performers from Wellesley, and a demo team from a local Kendo school. JCBC hopes its performers and audience will learn about the Japanese culture from this festival experience.
Grab a friend and go check out one (or all!) of these shows. All the performances are so intriguing; it’s sure to be a one-of-a-kind experience! Who knows, maybe you’ll be inspired to perform in the next culture show!