MOST OUTSTANDING Cultural Program NOMINEE
University of Southern Mississippi Vietnamese Student Association (USM VSA)
Autumn Kickoff Bash
Describe the cultural program and how it meets the mission and goals of the organization. Details MUST include: Date of event, number of participants, program purpose (i.e. goals and objectives), member involvement, use of resources, and marketing techniques.
With Autumn Kickoff Bash, it had two goals: welcome everyone to USMVSA (University of Southern Mississippi Vietnamese Student Association) and to share Tết Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival). The event was the first event hosted by the 2025-2026 USMVSA Executive Board. This allowed newcomers to experience what a USMVSA event is, while also sharing a part of the Vietnamese culture. Tết Trung Thu, or Mid-Autumn Festival, is a big celebration for the Vietnamese culture. While having plenty of means to celebrate, it focuses on family, happiness, and enjoyment. Quality time is spent with families, where you can see the joy in children as they get to celebrate such an event. At such festivals and gatherings, you will see plenty of lanterns, lion dances, snacks such as mooncakes, and more. The atmosphere is to bring upon fun, excitement, enjoyability, and unity. With all of this, this is what we wanted to build with our event. Not only did we want to show our first event for the new school year, but we wanted to start it off with a great, cultural message as well.
The event took place on October 11th, 2025, from 4 pm to 8 pm. It was located on the USM campus, at the Baptist Student Union building. For the event, we wanted to keep the attire close to what is usually worn. Moreover, we wanted the E-Board and participants to wear more vibrant and Fall colors. At the event, we had the E-Board, along with 20+ participants. This included our own general members and guests from other VSAs in the Gulf Coast region. At the event, we held different activities for everyone to participate in. We had lantern and fan making. Individuals were able to decorate their own lanterns and fans to their liking. This was to relate back to the element of lanterns for Tết Trung Thu. Then, we had more group interactive activities, such as relay races and a Tết Trung Thu version of Simon Says. Towards the end of the event, everyone sat together to eat food provided by the E-Board. We had karaoke going on at the same time to allow everyone to enjoy the atmosphere of the event. Throughout, we had decorations all around the building to fit the Mid-Autumn Festival environment. A photobooth area was provided to allow guests to take pictures with friends to keep precious memories. In the end, everyone left the event with smiles and laughter, marking the end of a successful mission.
How did this cultural program serve the campus and/or community?
This cultural event served the campus by allowing anyone to come and enjoy an event that was heavily influenced by an important, cultural holiday. One of our missions as a VSA is to share the Vietnamese culture with everyone. This event did just that. While enjoying the games, food, and atmosphere, we made sure to share the background of Mid-Autumn Festival. We showed why it was important to us and how it was a time of unity and happiness. Something as relatable and understanding as this was bound to bring positivity to those who attended.
Did the organization overcome any challenges that arose while planning and implementing the cultural program/event? How?
The USMVSA organization definitely overcame a handful of challenges. The basis of the challenges were due to the hiatus of the organization the school year prior. We had to create an event for a brand new set of individuals who knew nothing about VSA. Moreover, there were financial struggles that limited the maneuverability of the planning. We had to work with previous connections we had with other organizations and companies, materials we already had in our organization's inventory, and the trust we had in one another to create a worthwhile event. Through weeks of planning, the E-Board was able to create an amazing foundation for the event. From there, ideas were implemented until everything was complete. The design ideas, schedule, and more were established. In the end, even though there were struggles and limitations, we were able to make the most out of it. This led to an amazing event to start off the school year!
