The women of âThe Vagina Monologuesâ asked where âall the good men areâ last Friday and Saturday during two sold out performances in the Studio Theatre.
âThe Vagina Monologues,â written by Eve Ensler, are a collection of monologues based on interviews Ensler conducted with more than 200 women about their personal experiences with subjects ranging from sexuality and female orgasms to global issues and rape culture.
In the last piece of the night, âOver It,â performed by senior Gretchen Curry, Ensler calls out to men in the line, âI am over the passivity of good men. Where the hell are you?â
Junior Macauley OâConnor said Enslerâs expression of frustration in this instance was âan absolutely just one.â
âI think that a lot of men honestly just donât know what to do to help, and because of that they donât do anything,â said OâConnor. âThe thing that they donât realize is that the opportunities are out there for anybody to help out with. I know that Iâm not going to wait around for more people to get involved in supporting the cause. Iâm going to do whatever I can to be as un-passive as possible.â
Sophomore Kate Johnson, one of the showâs producers, said the lines are âa direct challenge to all men to regard violence and rape as a very serious matter, as one that shouldnât be taken lightly.â
âMany of the monologues focus on issues of violence against women by men, but a lot of them also focus on the fact that the men in our lives are vital and positive forces regarding our sexual and emotional well-being,â Johnson said.
ââThe Vagina Monologuesâ want to make people aware that one in three women will be raped, sexually assaulted, or abused in her lifetime, but they also want to show that not all men are part of the problem, but rather the solution.â
Johnson said that a student who attended the performance for a class approached her after the show to tell her that he had never thought about rape in the way that it was presented in the production.
Johnson said the student told her he was glad he attended and he realized the seriousness with which women regard issues of violence and rape.
Junior Leah Shaeffer, co-director of the show and actor in the performance, said that one actressâs father approached her after the first night of the performance to tell her that those lines in âOver Itâ affected him as well.
âHe was so affected by the line about the passivity of good men that he said his blood was boiling over and he just wanted to get out in the world and change every manâs perspective on violence against women,â Shaeffer said.
âEven if this man was the only person so affected by our performance, every minute and dollar that went into it was worth it.â
Senior Mollie Kalaycio, one of the performers in the show, said she felt some men did not fully grasp what the show was trying to say.
âA lot of guys came to see us, and we were really grateful,â said Kalaycio. âI feel like we touched a lot of them with the harsh facts about violence against women, but I also know that some of the men who saw it were a little uncomfortable and didnât really grasp the reality of what we were saying.â
Kalaycio said she thinks if men who understood the show could talk about it with other men who might have been confused, the message could come across better.
Sophomore Gus Wood, a new member of the Womenâs House, read the play before seeing the performance and said he âdid not anticipate the waves of emotion that true heartfelt readings of the material would bring on.â
However, Wood said that as an active member of the feminist cause, he felt that some of Enslerâs views were âantiquated.â
âThere is a large subset of men who are not only advocates against rapeâmany are victims of it,â said Wood. âI think the message was an important one, but a little women-centric. Hopefully men who do stand on these issues will stand up and join the fight based on the performance as a whole.â
Wood said he was moved by the womenâs performances, and he hopes the campus sees the play as a âcatalyst for more active roles in feminist causes.â
Senior Andrea Kraus, co-director and actor in the performance, said they decided to bring the production to OWU because of its relevance to the campus community.
âI wanted the show to reach an audience that included a diverse sampling of the OWU community,â said Kraus. âThis means people who are already involved in these issues and people who have never even heard the term ârape culture.ââ
Kraus said she hoped people took the idea that we are all connected away from the show.
âWhat happens to women in Bosnia affects the women of the Congo and the women in New Orleans and Delaware, Ohio,â she said. âWomen need to support women. Men need to support women. We need to support each other no matter what our sex or gender might be.â
In addition to the playâs focus on rape and sexual violence against women, the show also aimed to de-stigmatize vaginas.
Sophomore Erin Parcells said that the monologues aim to let women know that âyour vagina is your vagina.â
âEvery femaleâs vagina is different and thatâs okay,â said Parcells. âItâs about feeling good about your vagina and owning that.â
Junior Kaitlin Lentz said she hopes the performance changed the way people think about vaginas.
âIt should not be a topic that is made trivial,â Lentz said. âIt should be embraced and celebrated because where would we be without vaginas?â
Ninety percent of the proceeds from ticket sales and donations for the show is going to be donated to the foundation CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence, a program that addresses the needs of battered women and their children in Franklin County and additonally provides services to Delaware County.
Category: Entertainment
City Art Center seeking to pique public interest
Of the many restaurants, shops, and businesses to visit throughout downtown Delaware, one destination has eluded the attention of many OWU students.
The City Art Center on Winter Street, next to the Strand Theater, has been a part of the Delaware community for a short number of years. The center has drawn little attention from the OWU campus.
Students on campus, who have been living in the Delaware area for many years, have not made it a point to visit the gallery often.
Junior Liza Blakeslee said she had never been inside the building, but has looked at displays and advertisements in the windows.
The center is a non-profit organization that, according to its website, cityartcenter.org, has a âvision to be an active partner within the community
in developing an enriched cultural landscapeâ.
âIt also intends to promote an awareness of and appreciation for the arts by trying to âfoster creativity, spark new thoughts, and facilitate conversationâŠmeanwhile establishing a network for artists and the public.â
In order to help promote the organization and its monthly exhibits, the center has partnered with the Strand Theatre for Marchâs exhibit, entitled, âThe Strand Theatre: Scenes from Behind the Screen.â
According to Jessi Walker, the owner and operator of the City Art Center, this new event might be just the thing to bring in the right amount of attention.
âAside from free popcorn and a rich cultural art experience, the public can catch glimpses into places within our beloved Strand Theatre that no one normally has access to,â said Walker.
Walker also said that, thanks to this upcoming event, the Center will have the benefit of exposing their art space.
âWith each exhibition, more and more people find out what we are doing here, so that is very helpful to us. The CAC is operated 100 percent by volunteers in the community, so the more that people discover our space, the more people become involved in making it happen.â
The volunteers at the center said they hope students from OWU can come and check out what the art space has to offer and that they also hope to bring in more appreciation for art and how it operates through the community.
The upcoming event, âThe Strand Theatre: Scenes from Behind the Screenâ will begin on March 2 and the center will continue to show the exhibit throughout the month. To visit the center, stop by between 4 and 7 p.m. on Fridays and 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturdays.
Band of Skullsâ music like great lit
A car made Band of Skulls famous.
The Southampton, England, blues-rock quartet were virtual unknowns when the fine folks at Ford Motor Company wisely chose to use their song âLight of the Morningâ in an ad for the 2011 Mustang. The track leads off the bandâs 2009 debut âBaby Darling Doll Face Honey,â which was largely praised by critics.
âLight of the Morningâ defines that recordâitâs a short, loud jam that leaves the listener wanting more. That want is satisfied, as 11 tracks follow it on âBaby.â
The much-anticipated sophomore album, âSweet Sour,â takes the bandâs sound in a different direction, but by no means fails to achieve what Band of Skulls are best at: enticing.
The lead, title track achieves this end most successfully. The opening riff is easily the sultriest and most seductive Iâve ever heard.
Frontman Russell Marsdenâs guitar work and the vocal harmony between him and bassist Emma Richardson are hypnotizing, the songâs abrupt, single-chord ending, serving as the snap of the fingers releasing listeners from its spell.
The final four tracks are an equally beguiling group. âNavigateâ and âHometownsâ are so despondent and depressing that a song like âLight of the Morningâ is necessary to prevent anyone from contemplating suicide.
The band delivers with the penultimate track, âLies,â an audacious return to the prevalent sound of Baby. The recordâs title is even referenced in the lyrics: âHow can you not have a little fun/Doll face honey?â
After âLies,â the only fitting end to the record would be equally vigorous, right?
Wrong.
âClose to Nowhereâ is the bleakest of all 10 songs on âSweet Sour.â Minimalistic guitar work and a dark, chanting rhythm conjured by drummer Matt Hayward partner with almost nihilistic lyrics about not knowing oneâs purpose in life to bring back the wave of gloom âLiesâ was supposed to send away.
The track is a prime example of the recordâs darker, more personal lyrics.
âLay My Head Downâ deals with a reluctant relinquishing of love, and âBruisesâ has overtones addressing the adverse, outward effects of mental illness. The stripped down compositions on these more somber songs succeeds at letting their lyrical themes show through.
The album as a whole, as its title suggests, is a bit of a paradox. The loud, forceful sound of âBabyâ is staunchly present on Sweet SourââThe Devil Takes Care Of His Ownâ sounds like it could have been on an AC/DC record, and the driving drums and swift guitar and bass of âYouâre Not Pretty But You Got It Goinâ Onâ are just plain fun to listen to.
After the first time around the album, the listener is left somewhat wanting.
This could be a result of the contrast of expectations created by âBaby,â or the desperate thirst for optimism after hearing âClose to Nowhere.â
But this aural teasing is what Band of Skulls are best at. After a few more listens ,the effect they create becomes clearer, and the record gets better and better, but there are still no definite answers. Even after hearing it a multitude of times, it is still packed with wonderful ambiguity.
âSweet Sourâ is like a great piece of literatureâthe first time through itâs apparent thereâs an incredible amount of depth and substance, but itâs uncertain exactly what it is.
After examining it again and again, the meaning is still unclear, but that ambiguity allows for the open development of different interpretations.
With âSweet Sour,â Band of Skulls have definitively proven that they should never be underestimated.
Guest choreographer brings edge to Orchesis
According to the OWU website, Orchesis is the annual contemporary dance concert. The student dance company showcases the works of student choreographers along with works by faculty and guest choreographers. This year, 23 students will present 12 dances exploring a diverse range of themes.
âThe concert represents the rich history of dance at OWU and opens a new chapter as talented students perform lively, energetic, thought-provoking, and always entertaining.â
Marin Leggat is in her first year as assistant director of dance and artistic director of Orchesis. Leggat said she wanted to bring something different to the showcase this year.
As a new face to the OWU committee, Leggat brought in a guest choreographer to assist with one of the dances for the show. Groves is currently working as an independent artist in Italy as well as directing âArtist, Interruptedâ a non-profit, art collective that focuses on supporting female artists who balance family and art life.
Leggat said Grovesâ love and appreciation for dance was what inspired her to bring the alumn back to campus.
âKristen (Groves) is one of my former high school students,â she said. âWe laugh at this now, but at the time, she was pretty closed-minded about modern dance. Having been studio-trained, Kristen really only understood dance as a competitive sport, not necessarily as an art form. When she went to college, she ended up falling in love with artistic dance.â
Leggat said she hoped Grovesâ presence would inspire students.
âI felt this would be a fabulous opportunity for OWU dancers,â Leggat said. âMany of whom have had a dance background similar to Kristenâs, to see how their studio training can be valued and also expanded to find a unique voice as a dance artist.â
Grovesâ worked intensely with a cast of eight dancers during the first week of this semester, (Jan 16-21). From Mon-Sat, dancers rehearsed with Groves daily for three hours. She directed improvisational scores, taught choreography, and trained the dancers how to perform her particular style.
âMost viewers of my style have called it fierce, physical, complex, and athletic choreography,â Groves said. âMy dancing style is a fusion of precision and isolation with traditional modern dance technique. I have always loved to challenge my physical level as a dancer and most of my teaching and choreography is focused on developing athlete-artists.
Grove said her choreography embodies more than just an art form, but a gateway for political and social issues.
âDance is about expressing ideas,â she said. âOpinions, and narratives that can influence audiences to think more carefully about complex situations. Most of my work has a political focus; I love to choreograph socially-relevant work. To me, dance is advocacy, dance is a debate, and dance is persuasion.â
Leggat said students were excited at this new perspective on dance but were also creatively and physically challenged.
âKristen (Groves) put everything together during the week,â she said. âBy the end of their last rehearsal, the cast was sore, but very excited to be closing the concert with this high-energy pieceâ. âš
Both Leggat and Groves are confident and enthusiastic about the showcase. Groves said she hopes she can bring something new to not only Orchesis but the dance program.
âAny strong dance program needs exposure to lots of different styles of movement and different perspectives on approaching dance training,â she said. âMy goal was to help the students bring together a strong conceptual idea with strong choreography and movement vocabulary. My movement style is unique in terms of its physical complexity and I wanted to give the students a chance to really push the limits of their physical abilities.â
âOrchesis 2012â will be held at 8 p.m. March 2 and March 3 in Chappelear Drama Center.
Babbling Bishops take improv to a new level
Ohio Wesleyanâs improv- isational comedy troupe, The Babbling Bishops, knows the business of being funny is more than just funny business.
After their recent trip to Chicago to hone their skills through improv workshops, the black t-shirt clad and barefoot âBabblersâ are gearing up to put their new knowledge to practice.
Junior Andrew Rossi, also known by his troupe-given name âAttenborough,â explains that the Babblerâs annual trip focuses mainly on strengthening the skills of the troupe.
âChicago is college for the Bishops,â said Rossi. âWe go to be critiqued, to learn new methods of improv and to refine our form both individually and as a group.â
A fellow member, junior David âPop Flyâ Reitan, elaborated a little on what these workshops involve.
âWhile we were in Chicago we took workshops at the Improv Olympic Theater (iO),â Reitan said. âThis is, I believe, our third or fourth consecutive year that we have been taking lessons there.
âWe were under the instruction of Greg Hess, a guy whoâs been in the biz for about 10-12 years and is part of two groups at iO, one of which, The Cook County Social Club, is revered as the best improv group in Chicago.â
In these workshops, the Babblers focused on their dynamic and how to better interact on stage.
âOne of the big things we
worked on was reacting to and building with our scene partners, and not stepping on stage with a rigid plan of how the scene will go,â said senior Brock âSnake Hipsâ Schludecker.
The Babblers hope what they have learned from their workshops will allow them to better fulfill their purpose on campus. Rossi explained that the Babbling Bishops are fun; they give the campus a regular dose of original, improvised comedy.
He said they exist to entertain the campus and
to ensure the audience has as much fun watching the shows as they do performing and practicing.
Senior David âJumanji Schonbergâ Ordosch explained he had tried out for the Babblers during his freshman year, after attending the workshops they put on for new students. He enjoyed himself greatly, and wanted to join the troupe.
After not being admitted the first time he auditioned, he was inspired to work hard on his improv skills. He then came back the next year for auditions and
made the troupe.
Reitan expressed similar sentiments, and said he was impressed that people his age were able to get up on stage and do something like improv. After seeing the first show of the semester, he was hooked, and went to every show there afterwards.
At the end of the year, after the senior show, he made a pact with his friend to audition the next year.
The troupe strives to bring not only humor to campus, but also a stress relieving activity.
Junior Dave âDunkaroosâ Winnyk said the Babbling Bishops bring a âpressure release valve of humorâ to the stressful college climate.
The comedy, however, does not end on the stage. Many of the Babblers have a deep attachment to comedy and what they do.
âEver since I was a youngster, I loved comedy,â Winnyk said.
âFrom when I was super little, walking around asking grownups âya wanna hear a joke,â to memorizing my favorite stand-up routines to impress my high school peers, I love to make people laughâŠI think comedy and laughter keep us from getting too down on what can a lot of times be a cruel, awkward, and uncomfortable world.â
Reitan explained that the Babblers are more that just an activity to him; they also connect on an emotional level.
âThe most rewarding part of this experience is that I get to spend a couple hours a week with some of the most creative, fun, caring, quick-witted people Iâve ever met, that Iâve ever loved,â he said.
âI will be hard-pressed to find some other group like this one. In some ways I hope I donât, in some ways I hope I do. To be a Babbler is to be part of 20-year history that is exclusive to OWU. I find that to be one of the most special things about my life to date.â
Overall, OWUâs improv comedy troupe is very dedicated to their work.
Their desire to bring humor to campus, coupled with their drive to maintain continued excellence in their performances, makes them a deeply committed and tight-knit entertainment group on campus.
Poetry reminds us to live intensely
Anthony Zerbe, through his performance of âItâs All Done with Mirrors,â encouraged his audience last Friday to âlive deeply.â âItâs All Done with Mirrorsâ is a performance of a portion of poet E. E. Cummingsâ workâboth poetry and prose. This year it was part of the theatre departmentâs Performing Arts Series. In the talkback after the show, Zerbe said he strung the different poems and prose together to inundate his audience with Cummingsâ imagery, without a clear narrative. Having read a lot of E. E. Cummingsâ poetry, I appreciated Zerbeâs attempt to recreate the specific and unique feeling of Cummingsâ poetry. Zerbe, in pointing out one of Cummingsâ lines, âDamn everything but the circus,â demonstrated a main theme of his show. With a set of balloons and an occasional circus music track, he highlighted some of the more nonsensical elements of Cummingsâ work. In focusing on an inundation of images and feelings, Zerbe sometimes lost his audience. Switching between poems as different as âmay i feel said heâ and âHumanity i love you,â Zerbe achieved two different effects from performing such varying work without much transition: he gave a large sampling of Cummingsâ work, but the poems and prose sections lost a lot of their individual impact. Despite some of the more confusing aspects of Zerbeâs performance, he was able to play the varying characters of Cummingsâ poetry with ease and good humor. He performed âmay i feel said heâ particularly well, establishing two distinct characters and capturing the audience in that moment. It was refreshing to hear from someone established in the world of acting. Zerbe told the audience how he loved his life because he lived in the moment. Bringing this aspect of Cummingsâ life to the stage was a great reminder for me to enjoy the present.
Alumnusâ work returns to campus
Ohio Wesleyan alumnus Mohsen Shirzadianâs artwork has made a return to campus, showcasing his passion and talent for photography.
Although his photography has been displayed before, the photos currently on display in the Alumni Gallery in the Mowry Alumni Center have never been seen by campus.
Displayed on two floors, the photos depict subject matter ranging from nature to portraits to Iranian market scenes. The dates the photos were taken range across three decades; some photos date back to 1980, when Shirzadian was still a student at OWU.
According to Shirzadianâs artist statement, his interest in photography started during childhood.
âI remember my father taking me on trips, each time inevitably accompanied by his camera,â wrote Shirzadian.
âHis main interest was placing me in his favorite locations and taking pictures that would capture both the landscape and myself. This, I think, marked the start of my interest in photography.â
Shirzadianâs photography depicting photographs taken during his return trip to Iran in 2006 were displayed in Beeghly Library in 2009. He also gave an illustrated speech to the campus about his work.
Justin Kronewetter, museum director and fine arts professor, is one of the main people involved in choosing whose art is displayed on campus.
Kronewetter said he believed Shirzadianâs work merited another visit to campus.
âHe (Shirzadian) was invited back because his previous exhibit was shown mostly to students who have graduated,â Kronewetter said.
âThereâs different generation of students on campus. An artist can be invited back two to three times.â
When Kronewetter chooses artists, with the help of his staff, to be displayed on campus, he said he looks for a talented individual with a point of view to share and who will benefit the campus.
Shirzadianâs work is no different, Kronewetter said. âIt wouldnât be here if I didnât think highly of his work.â
Not only is Shirzadianâs photography of high caliber, but it also is relevant to a world view, said Kronewetter.
âRock Jones emphasizes a world view at OWU and encourages off-campus study and awareness of other cultures,â Kronewetter said. âMohsen is from Iran and has strong politics regarding the Iran situation. His photography is a picture window into a different part of the world.â
Kronewetter said Shirzadian is going to come to campus at an undecided date to discuss his photography as well as his world view.
The photography displayed in the alumni gallery is only half of the entire exhibit.
After mid-semester break, the other half will be replacing the photography currently installed.
Guest author captivates audience with reading
âColorful as a rainbow.â
This was how senior Mary Slebodnik described the work of Mark Brazaitis, an award-winning poet, in her introduction on Jan. 26 when Brazaitis read from his collected works in the Bayley Room of Beeghly Library.
Slebodnik also introduced him as a father, the basketball coach of his daughterâs team, and a political columnist in Cleveland.
Brazaitis is also the director of the creative writing program at West Virginia University and the winner of the ABZ Poetry Prize.
He was also awarded the Benedum Distinguished Scholar Award by West Virginia University.
His book of poetry, âThe Other Language,â is composed of work inspired by his time spent in Guatemala.
Brazaitis was sent to Guatemala as a Peace Corps volunteer, turning what might be considered a cliché out-of-college experience into a collection of literary merit.
Some of the poems delve into the effects of a 36 year civil war in Guatemala, recounting tales from the people he encountered.
Brazaitis also examines the complications of being American in Guatemala.
In his poem, âConversations in Wartime,â Brazaitis talks about Americans he met who ââŠspent their careers amid this war that isnât theirs.â
He posed the audience with a question:
âWhen youâre abroad and you see something you donât like, what do you do?â
His reading ended with a less serious but engaging story called, âThe Boy Behind the Tree,â a piece about a son wanting to live up to his fatherâs ideals.
Senior Diane Bizarro was fond of Brazaitisâ reading.
âI really enjoyed the range of things he read. The subject matter crossed a lot of genres,â Bizarro said.
Senior Steffany King had a preference for his poetry over his other work.
âThe themes related to my recent experiences abroad,â said King, who had recently studied in Germany.
English majors such as Bizarro and King are required to attend 10 of these poet and writersâ readings hosted by the English department. The styles and genres of authors greatly vary, exposing students to a wide range of work.
When Brazaitis was asked about advice for aspiring writers he said, âIt is important to write often. Whether itâs writing in a journal, or old-fashioned letters to friends, or long emails, or even writing for the newspaper.â
He also emphasized the need to have âmeaningful experiences.â His last bit of advice was to âhave an adventure after graduation.â
MLK Day builds community
To me, Martin Luther King Day used to mean a day off of school. It meant that I would hear my first grade teacher tell me about freedom and race and an assassinationâall things that, at seven years old, I did not understand.
It is strange how 13 years later I am feeling the impact of that man heavily upon me.
Working on a march in Dr. Kingâs honor for the Presidentâs Commission on Racial and Cultural Diversity, I was able to take part in a small but simple march from Slocum Hall to Hamilton Williams Campus Center at the beginning of this semester.
Even though no more than 20 showed up, the march had an intimate impact on me. I was walking to reflect on the life of a man I would never meet, a man I would never hear speak.
Still, in hearing the opening and closing words of Chaplain Powers and President Jones, I felt connected to Dr. Kingâs dream.
It all came to a head for me when I was watching the short documentary, âThe Witness: From the Balcony of 306â in Ham-Wil last week among housemates and peers.
I was struck, not only by the content of the documentary, highlighting Reverend Samuel âBillyâ Kylesâ friendship with Dr. King, but also some of the images and moments around Dr. Kingâs death.
Now that I think about it, I probably saw some of these images in first grade, learning about MLK Day. It was the images of the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike that moved me the most. Men in the strike lined the streets wearing signs that said only, âI am a man.â
Despite the perhaps unfairly gendered nature of this statement, it hit home for me in my life. Outside of their race, jobs or religion, all of the men striking were just thatâmen.
It reminded me that despite all of the labels society places on me: gay, ex-Muslim, multi-racial, liberalâI am still a man. I am still human.
It is this humanness that I want to remember from the work of Dr. King. What was then called a brotherhood of men could be transposed to a family of humans. We all have an underlying humanness that we share.
We are bound not by our race or our religion. Instead we are only bound by our commitment to our fellow members of the community, our friends, our family and our classmates.
Everything that I have said has most certainly been said before, but for me it is the reminder that counts.
I think it is important that we recognize the bonds we share as a community.
I think we should embrace that community, if not in honor of Dr. King, then in honor of all the relationships that have been founded at this great university.
Students wish for luck during Lunar New Year
Students lined up for the free authentic Vietnamese food offered by Ohio Wesleyanâs Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), who hosted the traditional celebration of the Lunar New Year on Saturday, Jan. 28.
It was held in the Hamilton Williams Campus Center in Benes B and C. VSA offered OWU students the chance to celebrate the lunar holiday and enjoy some of Vietnamâs traditional dishes.
The Lunar New Year, also called âTĂȘt,â is a holiday celebrated in Vietnam that signals the beginning of spring. People typically celebrate in a festive manner with good food, and an exchanging of gifts.
The Benes Rooms were decorated with festive lights, posters and red lanterns. In many Asian
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countries, the color red holds the symbolic meaning of luck which added an authentic flare to the Lunar New Year celebration.
Members of VSA gave away small envelopes filled with Asian candies to those who attended as a gift in appreciation of their attendance.
VSAâs celebration of the Lunar New Year gave international students the opportunity to celebrate a holiday tradition away from home.
The event also educated fellow American students on Vietnamese traditions and the diverse taste of their food.
Sophomore Rebecca Overbeeke said, âI liked expanding my taste buds to a different culture, and the fact that the food wasnât store bought, but prepared by the VSA members showed that they genuinely care about the celebration of their culture. The atmosphere of the entire event was very relaxing too because they were playing soft music that sounded like music from Asia.â
Students involved in VSA set up a buffet-style dinner and served the students some of their favorite traditional Vietnamese dishes.
Some dishes offered included vegetable spring rolls with a peanut butter dipping
sauce, pork, noodles, and sticky rice.
Senior Alex Clapp said, âI
loved all the food and it was
fun to try new dishes Iâve never had before.â
VSA impressed their fellow OWU students who attended the event by preparing and cooking dishes that originated from their Vietnamese culture.
Clapp said, âI was very impressed that all the food was prepared by the students themselves. It was a pretty big turnout of people which allowed the Vietnamese Student Association to share their food and culture with others.â