Under flowing lights and an archway of greenery, LSU’s Asian Student Union gathered for a celebration that perfectly walked the line of marking a farewell and a new beginning.
On Monday night, ASU held its final event of this semester with the End of the Year Gala, where club members celebrated the year’s growth, changing leadership and graduating members.
The inaugural gala at the Union Ballroom was planned to spotlight ASU’s success over the past year with an enchanted forest theme.
Throughout this school year, the club has hosted 46 events, with their most popular event drawing over 250 attendees.
“There is an underrepresented community that needs a space to grow,” ASU president An Tra said.
For ASU vice president April Smith, the club offered the chance to foster a community that she did not have in her hometown.
“I came to LSU because I had hoped to find people that looked like me, that had experienced things like me,” Smith said. “Honestly, I just wanted to feel more connected to my culture, which I haven’t really had the opportunity to do up until now.”
Upon arrival, guests were immediately ushered into the whimsical night as they walked under an aesthetic, woodsy archway. A few photo ops were also put up around the ballroom for club members and guests to take advantage of their formal attire, with many spiffy suits and gorgeous gowns in the crowd.
Tables were decorated with golden butterflies, tealights and rose petals, creating a magical dining experience. Guests chowed on eats like sushi, ramen and bread pudding, and enjoyed beverages like milk tea, soda and passionfruit tea.
The night first started with a short presentation from Tra and Smith.
Tra has been a member of ASU since its return to campus in the fall of 2024. For the kinesiology senior, the Gala was a final send off before graduating in May.
“This isn’t goodbye,” Tra said to the crowd. “This is just a thank you and a see you so, so soon.”
Like Tra, Smith has been a part of ASU’s foundation since being brought back. Though she is currently a junior chemistry major, Smith has made the decision to step out of the role of an executive member for her senior year.
“I’m so thankful for my two years of being at ASU,” Smith said, “but, to be honest, I want my final year in college to be spent just being a normal member, because that’s what I craved so much when I was a freshman.”
One of the newly elected interior vice presidents, Alina Insyxiengmay, shared that the night felt conflicting — the great end to the year also meaning that the club is going to change.
“Tonight has been so bittersweet, but so exciting,” Insyxiengmay said. “I am so proud of our past executive board, and I’m super excited to see what our new exec board will do. ASU has so much promise and plans for everything.”
Along with Insyxiengmay, Deleah Van was elected as the exterior vice president and Nhu Tran as the president.
Tran, an interior design junior, believes Tra built a foundation of leadership and passion that she is excited to add to.
“An definitely set a really high bar that I want to exceed,” Tran said. “I’m also passionate and seeing him passionate — seeing him in homecoming and so much more — I want to do those too. Being in this club, I’m growing more as a person. [ASU] is more than something you put on a resume.”
The Gala also featured a performance from the Aaja Nachle dance team, coordinated by Asha Nair and Divya Joshi.
“I love that [ASU] gave us this platform,” Aaja Nachle performer Riana Mirpuri said. “We really enjoyed it.”
To close out the night, the club projected a video montage of the past seven months to officially close out the school year. ASU members walked away from the event with many emotions, blending from nostalgia and gratitude to anticipation and eagerness.
“Wherever you are, wherever your success leads you, keep planting your seeds,” Tra encouraged. “Fight the good fight, and keep dreaming.”
