Night in Saigon is the biggest annual event hosted in January by VSA. Hosted at the Tate Grand Hall, it is a spectacular event that shows off the Vietnamese population at UGA. To prepare for the special night, committee leaders, members, and the executive board spend four months creating decorations, taking photos, preparing menus, learning dances, and raising sponsorship funds. Last year, over 800 attendees came to watch our show.
This year's Night in Saigon follows the theme- The Paths We Crossed - Our story blends humor, heart, and cultural nuance to highlight the bittersweet experience of leaving home, returning home, and navigating life. It beautifully contrasts the bittersweet necessity of leaving the comfort of one home with the anticipation of returning to another, exploring the complex emotional paths crossed both literally and metaphorically as the brothers transition between worlds.
Attendees include UGA students, sponsors, and VSA members from other colleges across the Southeast, such as the University of Florida, Kennesaw State University, Georgia Tech, and Mercer University. NIS revolves around the theme and message that is portrayed to its audience. The show consists of a skit, individual acts, and dance performances in lion dance, modern, and traditional. It is a fun-filled night full of entertainment that will leave an audience stunned.
“As a director, working with other directors such as media, skit, decor has been so fun! It’s so rewarding and surprising to see our combined visions come to life, as we hype each other up and support one another. Podcast has also been the most fun project, where I was able to interact with different people in NIS, talk about the community we have, and laugh and do random things!”
“I loved getting to see NIS come together from behind the scenes. From coordinating check-in to organizing ticket sales and helping guests find their seats, watching all the moving pieces fall into place was so rewarding. Seeing everyone come through the doors and being excited for the show made all the hard work worth it. I’m grateful I got to play a part in creating such a memorable night.”
“I loved getting to know the different people from VSA. Everyone I met by working behind the scenes was incredibly kind, wonderful, and diligent. Working together with my committee to create something that would be enjoyed by others was an incredibly gratifying experience. It was great to witness all our hard work over the year come together successfully, and we all got to sit back and enjoy the event together after it was all finished. I will always be grateful for the experience and unique opportunity VSA gave me.”
“I loved being able to bond with my committee and have a strong team working together to create one big masterpiece. We got to become closer and go out to eat together once NIS finished which made everything so fulfilling. We got to look back at our experience and laugh about it all together! I got to meet some of my closest friends through VSA and graduate with long-lasting memories!