If a student organization is looking to stand out among the crowd of clubs and groups at the University, then a spirited talent night featuring comedy routines, impressive guitar solos and powerful vocal performances would be a good start. The Vietnamese Student Association hosted an event Tuesday night that accomplished all of that.
Jenny Nguyen, biology junior and president of VSA, said the night was an opportunity for the members of the club to have a good time and show off a little bit.
“We want our members to be able to showcase their gifts,” Nguyen said. “This is our opportunity to show other students we really are a part of the campus as a whole.”
This is the second time VSA has held its talent night and Nguyen said participation has grown with time.
“When we did this last year, we only had about eight to 10 participants,” she said. “Our members responded well and now there are about 20 or so people with performances.”
The event was held at the Live Oak Lounge in the Student Union, and most of the attendees were VSA members.
Those who attended were treated to a variety of acts including performers singing well-known songs.
Nguyen considered the night a success because the students were able to share their talents and have a good time along the way.
“We have people who are so good at so many things,” Nguyen said. “They play the piano, they sing, they dance, they make people laugh and that is what we want to show other LSU students.”
Nguyen said that showing the performing side of VSA members helps other students take notice and hopefully remember them.
“There is a lot of diversity on campus so sometimes it is hard to get noticed,” Nguyen said. “Events like our talent night are ways for us to reach out and show people that there are more Vietnamese students than you might think.”
Nguyen said the main purpose of VSA has traditionally been to provide a network of social support for Vietnamese students at the University, but this year, members plan to reach out to the whole student body.
“As an organization we want to expose our members to the general student body and show we are here and we are important,” she said.
With about 80 members, Nguyen said the VSA is alive and continues to grow. Each semester she hopes to help the group take another step forward and be noticed.
“We hope that this is just the beginning,” Nguyen said. “In coming semesters we will continue to share our culture and show people we are part of what makes LSU special.”

Gallery • 16 Photos

Charles Champagne

VSA member, junior, Jaime Wang performs with her piano Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013 during the VSALSU Spotlight II Performance in the LSU Union Live Oak Lounge.