On Saturday night, New Paltz students dug their high heels and dress shoes out of the closet, wrapped themselves in silk dresses and suit jackets and headed towards Pho Tibet to celebrate the Asian and Pacific Islander Student Alliance’s (APISA) 6th Annual Gala. APISA’s E-Board transformed the space from a Pho restaurant into a dazzling gala space. Attendees mingled under white and silver balloons floating above their heads, and red and golden tinsel swayed against Pho Tibet’s glass windows. The event is a culmination of APISA’s months-long hard work and planning, in which they pulled off another gala that celebrated APISA and gave students the opportunity to enjoy themselves.
The theme of the night was “A Night In Asia.” It began at 7:00 p.m. and required formal dress. Upon walking in, students entered a packed restaurant, with people sitting on stools in the back due to a high turnout, and people attending who did not RSVP. A bright, fuzzy red rug splayed out near the front door, next to backdrops of Asia for students to take pictures in front of. Hudson Valley artist D.J. Lohex stood in a suit and tie behind his DJ booth, spinning tracks from Tyla to New Jeans.
Everyone looked amazing as they milled around in shimmering gowns and sharp black ties — a nice departure from the sweatshirts and Crocs we are used to seeing from each other in class. APISA’s E-Board all wore emerald dresses and shirts that distinguished them from others, and they served attendees delicious spring rolls, dumplings, samosas and more. Fourth-year electrical engineering major and the Council of Organizations E-Board representative Mark Camitan emceed the event, hyping up the crowd for performances from SMACC Dance Crew and NOVA, a K-POP dance crew under APISA, and facilitating three rounds of bingo (the final winner won a dragon lego set!) Pho Tibet’s cooking crew watched the festivities from the kitchen, recording the dance performances on their phones and preparing food for people to enjoy.
Planning for the gala starts in the fall semester, and organizing is always on the E-Board’s minds when they meet as a club on Wednesdays. According to Camitan, APISA keeps strict track of its budget allocated by the Student Association that enables them to host the event, to ensure their purchase requests and future budgets are approved. While in past years the gala has been held in the Student Union Building’s large Multipurpose Room, the space is closed for renovation. This created an obstacle for APISA organizers, who had to figure out an alternative location.
One of the E-Board members works at Pho Tibet and secured the restaurant as a venue for the gala. Initial ideas for the event included bussing attendees to another location or hosting it at Science Hall, but organizers decided on Pho Tibet due to its size and walkability from campus. E-Board members worked out the logistics for hosting it at the restaurant, figuring out how many attendees Pho Tibet could fit and how much food was necessary.
“Pho Tibet is open during the day. As soon as they closed, we hit the ground running like clockwork. We got everything decorated within the hour, so it was very impressive,” said Camitan. “We have a ton of volunteers, a lot of friends that love to help and that’s also a huge part of it. I’m glad everyone was able to come despite it being off campus.” Since the gala was not in its typical location, APISA organizers had to forgo some past features of the gala, such as its fashion show where representatives model their traditional garbs, or a guest speaker.
Third-year Asian studies and business administration student Bethany Young attended the event and said, “It was different than the previous years but also, I think somewhat better. Even though it was a close space and tight, they had more to offer, like the dancing, so that was great.”
“It’s usually in May, which is Asian Heritage Month. But it’s nice they made it before finals,” she said. “It’s different than what usually happens on campus. We had a chance to dress up, and I think it’s fun.”
According to Camitan, APISA is a cultural organization that “tries to bring more awareness and fun of the culture of Asian and Pacific Islanders” on campus. “We like to make sure that people are in tune with not just what’s currently going on with Asian culture, but also Asian history,” he said. The club hosts events throughout the school year that are open to all, like a paint-and-sip with bubble tea and a skincare night focused on self-care with face masks and a movie. “We try to create a haven for what I consider to be not a crazy population of New Paltz. I feel like there’s a good amount of Asians, but I will say that it’s still important that we still provide a community for them,” said Camitan.
Third-year early childhood education major and club secretary Evelyn Song said, “You do not have to be Asian to join. All are welcome to learn about the culture.”
While other universities have Asian organizations that are so large they have ethnic subdivisions, SUNY New Paltz does not have this. “We don’t really have the luxury of being able to have those minimal groups. Having APISA gives us the chance that despite your Asian background, no matter how foreign or little it is, you can still relate and have that haven for people to have conversations,” said Camitan.
“For example, I’m Filipino. A lot of my fellow board members are Chinese, and we have a lot in common and a lot of stuff that’s not as common. It gives me a chance to learn about them and then to learn about my culture,” he said. “It creates a very big melting pot in the school that doesn’t have the luxury of having these large groups.”
While the gala is a celebration of Asian culture and APISA as an organization, it serves another purpose: fun. As finals approach and student’s academic workloads weigh them down, APISA members give their peers the space to get dressed up, enjoy themselves and eat delicious food and Asian snacks — all for free.
Both Camitan and Song encouraged students to get involved with APISA. “We don’t bite,” said Song.
“I love APISA. They are some of the best friends I have at the school, and I’m lucky I get to see them outside of class but also have a reason to see them,” said Camitan. “It’s something that I get to take my mind off work, and it’s a space to have fun.”
