Love is truly blossoming this February: a love for the world around us. On Saturday, Feb. 1, Villanova’s Asian Student Association (ASA) kicked the month into high gear with its annual ASA Expo showcase. The Villanova Room became a center for students to demonstrate their expertise in various fields, featuring dazzling performances, a stunning fashion show and the unity of a passionate, diverse community.
Expo Showcase 2025 was organized by ASA’s executive board, consisting entirely of Villanova students from all years. The board consists of President Matthew Park, Vice President Vinnie Lin, Secretary Autumn Hoang, Expo Chairs Joshua Wentz and Rachel Phan, Public Relations Chair Kimberly Luu, Social Chair Oliver Sohn, Events Coordinator Jacob Wong and Freshman Representatives Alana Arcilla and Ellison Koo.
Phan, a Villanova junior, described how she and Wentz carried out the work that went into production. This included tasks such as deciding the theme, coordinating with student organizations, handling logistics and promoting the event around campus and on social media, all of which go back as far as Fall Semester.
“We also try to make the event more collaborative, encouraging everyone in ASA to get involved in Expo, whether it’d be helping with decor, assisting with food or participating in the fashion show,” Phan said.
The ASA Expo uses a new theme each year for the decor, such as a Nintendo theme in 2023 and a Studio Ghibli theme in 2024. This year’s theme was about friendship. It used characters from Japanese entertainment company Sanrio, such as Hello Kitty, My Melody and Cinnamoroll, to convey this message. According to Phan, they represent the emotional bonds that define meaningful relationships.
“Through these characters’ gentle interactions, they offer a reminder of the comfort and warmth that loved ones bring into our lives,” Phan said.
Nova Nassa, Ablaze and the Superlative set the room on fire with their stylish dance moves. Each group had different ways of doing it, but they combined elements from Western and Eastern cultures to create their own unique dance forms. For example, take Nova Nassa, which combined elements of Bollywood, classical Indian and hip-hop styles set to music with Indian roots being mixed with modern Western hip hop.
Other student-led organizations about culture and language put on a good show, as well. The Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) danced to VPop remixes of 2025 songs, the Filipino American Students Association (FASA) displayed its skills in traditional Filipino Tinikling and the Korean Students Association (KSA) performed K-pop dances to songs from multiple South Korean singers. Everyone needs a little dose of Gangnam Style once in a while.
The Taekwondo Club wowed the audience with its mixture of martial artists and dance maneuvers. Audience members were treated to two teasers of upcoming documentaries by Pinctada Pearl Production, a student-run production company of social justice documentaries. Their upcoming projects will focus on being a voice for mistreated Filipino communities.
Audience members also participated multiple parts from their seats: the rendition of Pu Shu’s “Ordinary Road” by the Chinese Language & Cultural Studies Program, the Chinese square dance “The Most Dazzling Folk Style Songs” by the Chinese Language & Cultural Studies Program and the rendition of “Silhouette” by KANA-BOON from hit anime “Naruto Shippuden” by the Japanese Language and Cultural Studies Program.
“We reached out to a variety of groups, from singing, dancing, taekwondo and more,” Park said. “It’s to show that within the Villanova community, its Asian-Americans do everything from sports to singing. There’s a wide variety of talents that Asian-Americans have.”
During the intermission in between the FASA and Taekwondo performances, attendees were served helpings of vegetable fried rice, pepper steak, samosa and other delicious eatables. They were graciously provided by restaurants Tiffin Indian Cuisine, Jin Ding and Little Basil Kitchen.
The showcase’s big finale was a fashion show featuring multiple students wearing traditional clothing found in Vietnam, China, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Korea. Models were cheered, hurrah and applauded like the stars that they are, putting a fitting end to the event.
“We’re just displaying how every country doesn’t always wear shirts and jeans,” Park said, highlighting the multitude of different forms of expression of culture throughout the world.
“I hope that the attendees leave ASA Expo with a deeper appreciation for the diversity and richness of Asian cultures,” Phan said. “More than that, I want them to feel a stronger sense of community, whether it’s within ASA or on campus in general.”
“The growth I’ve seen from my freshman year to my senior year has been amazing,” Park said. “I’m very appreciative of this community.”
Anyone interested in learning more about ASA, or staying updated about upcoming events and meeting themes, can do so by searching them up on VUGroups or following them on Instagram @villanovaasa.
