By Giselle Lee | Staff Writer
Students gathered Friday evening at Waco Hall for Asian Fest 2026, presented by the Coalition of Asian Students, learning about different cultures or new qualities of their own.
The event, sponsored by the Asian Leaders Network Waco and Fuzz Lab Waco, featured performances from numerous Asian student organizations and individuals across campus.
Committee member of the Asian Fest Team and McKinney junior Camille Santos said the process of organizing the event was stressful, but worthwhile to see the spread of Asian culture, especially during Asian American Pacific Islander Month.
“Building up to [the event], there were so many moving parts, and I took on a lot of weight for it as well,” Santos said. “As an Asian student, it’s really satisfying to see everyone come together and to see that sense of community be built. Even students who aren’t Asian came in to celebrate culture, so it’s really great to see that.”
Vietnamese Student Association Lion Dance Team Captain and Houston sophomore Tiane Le thanked Waco Hall staff for their accommodations throughout the preparation process.
“The process has been a lot of practicing, working with the team to see the members work on the skills … and I’m really proud of what our members have done,” Le said. “They’ve come really far, and I think our performance looks great.”
Despite gaining new members in the fall semester, Le said the Lion Dance Team has grown significantly in terms of individuals and as a team.
“Our team has definitely bonded and not only grown in skill, but I think we’ve become like a family,” Le said. “I’m really proud of people who’ve stepped up in the team to take part in choreography or trying to step out of their comfort zone with new tricks.”
Le highlighted the importance of diversity and said that it allows people to “each bring something different to the function,” which can be done through sharing at platforms such as Asian Fest.
“It’s just great for people who are unfamiliar with the culture to experience new things, and for people who are part of the culture to see representation,” Le said. “It definitely makes us feel seen, and it makes me really happy to see people of other cultures being able to experience Asian cultures and even being able to experience cultures of other Asian ethnicities has been really cool and interesting to me in general.”
Dunlap, Ill., senior Ella Carlile said last year’s Asian Fest encouraged her to return for this year’s performances, not only to support her friends but also to learn more about Asian culture.
“It was awesome last year,” Carlile said. “This year all the events were really good and it really showcased all of the students at Baylor, especially their musical talents and performances that they’ve worked so hard on in the past few months.”
Carlile said it’s crucial to attend cultural events at Baylor that extend beyond the CAE credit incentive.
“I think it’s important for people that don’t usually go to events like this,” Carlile said. “It allows people to come in if they haven’t been before. I think it’s a good opportunity to introduce yourself to something you’re not entirely used to.”
