A cultural union on IU's campus

With Vietnamese folk music playing in the background, the bride and groom held hands atop the red curtain-draped stage as they received offerings of good luck from family and friends. After placing a pair of gold earrings on the bride, an act comparable to the Western tradition of exchanging rings, it became official -- the couple had just been married in a traditional Vietnamese wedding. \nAlthough the celebration was merely a skit, attendees of the IU Vietnamese Student Association's wedding celebration Friday night might have felt like they were witnessing the real deal. In any case, that was just what the organization wanted. \n"We like to promote Vietnamese culture and want other people to know what a rich culture it is," said junior Cassandra Tran, president of the Vietnamese Student Association. "We decided to do something different to showcase the culture through our food and traditions and show people what a real Vietnamese wedding would be like." \nLighthearted skits touched on all stages of a Vietnamese wedding, from the ceremonious proposal to the post-wedding banquet. After the wedding commenced, six girls in traditional Vietnamese garb performed a choreographed dance with lanterns.\n"We tried to think of the biggest celebrations people go through in a lifetime, and a wedding is certainly one of them," said sophomore Brandon Tran, the group's external vice president, who played the groom. "I don't know too much about the culture, so it's good for me to learn about it while spreading cultural diversity and awareness on campus." \nLocal families and members of Ohio State University's Vietnamese Student Association joined about 50 IU students and faculty members in the festivities. \n"We came down to see the culture show and see what we can learn and expand our own culture show that we have," said OSU junior Nancy Nguyen. "We also came to connect with IU's organization because we want to share cultural awareness with people beyond our campus, and hopefully they will come to our events." \nOther students less in tune with Vietnamese culture attended to get a taste of what a traditional wedding would be like.\n"I like learning about other cultures, and it sounded cool," said freshman Lauren Ashkenazy. "I didn't know what to expect when I came here, but it was different and definitely interesting." \nStudents prepared educational poster board displays illustrating various aspects of Vietnamese culture, and Chow Bar served traditional Vietnamese dishes. Vegetable Lo Mein, caramelized chicken wings, stir-fried beef with sesame sauce, black pepper pork, Vietnamese salad and sweet sticky rice were some of the foods those in attendance enjoyed. \nThe wedding, the organization's main cultural event of the year, was planned by the students and sponsored by the Asian Culture Center, IU Student Foundation and Residence Hall Association.