Cultural Art Expo 2019 🎨

YOU BELONG: Under this overarching theme, this year’s APASA Cultural Art Expo promised an artistic space to spread conversation in collaboration with other supporting USC student assemblies on the immigration struggle and experience specifically.

The air of expectancy — how is one to describe it? Amidst the gentle murmuring and motions of preparation preceding Cultural Art Expo’s commencement, I could feel the cavernous space of TCC Ballroom suffused with it: a bottled excitement shivering to be released. 

As I walked along the length of the room, my gaze swept round from the collection of fellow assemblies — ISA, LSA, PSA, QuASA, Speakers, ACA, and PAC — preparing their activity booths, to the APASA e-boarders and interns bustling to line out mocktails and our food from Northern Cafe and Chichen Itza, to the dignified gallery boards bearing their infographics on immigration, to the rows of visual artists setting their pieces up, to finally the rugs and roundtables expectant in front of the empty stage. 

There were so many voices of campus represented here: so many struggles, narratives, and celebrations—some of which I was familiar with, most of which I wasn’t. I couldn’t definitively say I knew the night was going to be a success. But in this moment of seeing it all come together, I did know. Does that make sense?

Nine o’clock came around, and people began trickling, then flooding in. The line for the food stretched out first as expected, with people eager to fill their plates up with Tamales and Orange Chicken and Mapo Tofu and Platanos and Pollo Asado and Beef Rolls and… I’m salivating. You get the idea.

The bottle had opened, but the excitement eased in, an expansive permeation of the room. As people filtered through the room, I could feel the murmuring crest as they began engaging with the various artists and assembly booths. I found myself entranced by my classmate Ambika’s collection of poetry, which intimately captured their grapples with their sexuality through metaphors modern and classical alike. 

Then Stu and the Blindfolds took the stage for the first performance of the night, and the night’s elevated feel was vocalized in the joyous, warm tones of the violin, ukulele, and piano. 

Other performances followed: Vietta’s chill yet cheeky covers; photographer Rozette Rago’s profound discussion of her work; sensational superstars Leon Hua and Katherine Ho’s rousing English and Chinese song renditions; KYOUL’s soulful, lilting notes; Drishti’s fiery dynamism; and GLASSSPIRIT’s eclectic and incredibly imaginative multi-instrument performance to conclude the night. Taking a step back, it was impossible not to appreciate the profundity of what was being showcased here. Talent, passion, and energy, all elements that flavored and complemented the already heady stew of the intellectual and artistic work on display elsewhere in the room.

What can I say about the night? It was… sublime, it was entertaining, it was myriad, it was inspiring. In its wake, I felt at peace. I felt welcomed. 

And it wouldn’t be too large a stretch to say I belonged.

Thank you to Cup O’ Joy for the boba!