Midwest Asian American Students Union leadership retreat comes to campus

November 6, 2009

Students from universities across the Midwest will converge on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus this weekend for the Midwest Asian American Students Union leadership retreat. This will mark the first time UW-Whitewater has hosted the event.

The Midwest Asian American Students Union works to recognize the needs of the Asian Pacific Islanders American community. The organization supports the growth of Asian American student unions across the Midwest.

Beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, a number of speakers will be on campus at the University Center's Down Under to give presentations on public speaking, communication styles, student activism and more. Corinne Maekawa Kodama from the University of Illinois at Chicago will give the keynote address on "The Importance of Asian American Leadership."

The retreat offers a great opportunity for students to network with more than 200 students from numerous universities.

"It's easy to feel like you're split in two between fitting in and your heritage," conference co-chair Soua Lor said about being an Asian American college students. "The event is just another way for Asian American students to stay in tune with your heritage."

In many cases, students attending the retreat are first-generation college students. The retreat is a tool students can take advantage of to feel better assimilated in their current surroundings.

"Coming from a culture that is somewhat male-dominant, I look at the event as a way of staying true to my culture and practicing tradition while also establishing myself as a leader," conference co-chair Ka Vang said. "The retreat is a good way to get to know people of other cultures and to step out from your usual boundaries."

With students from Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Missouri, UW-Whitewater will showcase its campus to a wide range of students. For more information on the event and to see a list of presenters, visit http://orgs.uww.edu/sao/maasulr.