by Hundreds of students gathered for a campus event last Friday to celebrate Asian heritage and culture.
University of Minnesota students attended the popular yearly event – Light Up the Night – at Northrop Auditorium.
An event that highlights and brings together the diverse culture of the Asian community on campus.
“I think that’s what’s so beautiful about it. There is no other like event that really does that,” said Advait Thakore, one of the co-event coordinators for Light Up the Night.
The event starts with stations promoting different student groups on campus. Multicultural fraternities and sororities take this opportunity to recruit more people.
Brandon Vi, a member of Lambda Phi Epsilon, said an event like Light Up the Night allows for a deeper connection with the community.
Later in the night, more than a dozen student performances took over – ranging from singing and dancing to martial arts.
For many, Light Up the Night is about finding their cultural identity.
“It taught me a lot about how to be prideful of my heritage,” said Aysa Tarana, co-event coordinator.”
Tarana said she works towards a better environment for everyone else to celebrate their diverse background on campus.
Students’ families said Light Up the Night is a great way to represent Asian heritage in a college setting. Daisy Leonard said it is incredible to see her sister find her community through the Asian American Student Union.
“I’m just really grateful for her, I’m grateful for this event as well,” said Leonard.
Light Up the Night showcased the importance of community, pride and gratitude in multicultural campus events.
