Vegas: Organizers hope Viva
can become an annual event
Continued from page 1
they didn’t have any proms in their
high school days, so we just want to
offer them a chance to dress up and
dance,” Ishii said.
This is the first time his associa
tion has hosted such a formal dance
party, and whether it will become an
annual event is still in question.
“We hope it could become an an
nual event, but we have to listen to
students’ reactions,” Ishii said. “If
people don’t like it, I guess we might
have to get it back to our traditional
Valentine’s party again.”
Visitors’ enthusiasm at the party
seemed to be a relief to organizers.
The floor was crowded with dancers
from 8:30 p.m. until midnight. The
five big posterboards erected in front
of the ballroom, which featured the
buildings and streets of Las Vegas,
proved to be a popular attraction.
People took breaks from the fast
dancing and posed in front of the
posters for photographs.
Jihye Song, an exchange student
from South Korea, said she was
satisfied with the formal dance.
“I have never been in this sort of
dancing party before, it is amazing,”
she said.
Song came to Eugene this fall, and
she never got a chance to try her
evening wear.
“This is the right place to dress
up because everyone’s dressing at
their best, and you won’t attract
that much attention as you usually
do,” she said.
For ASUO International Student
Advocate and sophomore Laila
Taraghi, the formal dance was also
different from the proms she
attended in high school.
“There are no boring require
ments on what you can wear and
what not anymore, ” she said. “We
occasionally have some small-scale
formal dances in our residence
halls, but nothing like this — it’s so
big and people are from different
cultural background.”
International Student Association
members said at least 200 people
showed up by 10 p.m. Friday
evening, and many visitors came in
after that.
“We sold some 180 tickets through
the EMU Ticket Office, and counting
the 20 tickets brought by the ASUO,
the total ticket sales should be more
than 200,” said ISA Co-Director
Georgia Mu.
Mu was not surprised by the
number of visitors because the asso
ciation sent out large numbers of in
vitations through e-mail to many
student organizations.
The association’s budget, as well
as fundraising from ASUO and the
University, helped pay the $600 rent.
The EMU Ticket Office closed at 10
p.m., and visitors who came after
that were let in for free.
“The Ballroom usually closes at 10
p.m., but nobody wants a dance par
ty to end up that early, so we have to
pay for the overtime,” she said.
The organization put tsunami re
lief donation boxes inside and
outside the Ballroom.
“We will pull the donations from
other international nights together
and send them to the related disaster
relief organizations,” Mu said. “I just
hope people could donate the money
saved on tickets to our tsunami-relief
donation box.”
$20 OFF
1 prescription glasses
rrainbow
optics
See what
frame & lenses
^omplete^
missing.
LOCATIONS
Not valid with anv insurance Dlans ExDires Februarv 28 2005
r
G1
enwoo
J
Monday morning blues?
r
- SPECIAL -
n
Two ^8, komefried potatoes
and en^lisk muffin
Available Monday-Wednesday unfit 10:30 a.m. with this ad
Expires February 23, 2005
I_|
Glenwood Fact #7:
Our breakfast potatoes kave never seen tke inside of a f]
reezer
2588 Willamette St. 541-687-8201 • 1340 Older St. 541-687-0355
5 i|r Anniversary Tues Feb 8tM!l
Just in Time For IDADDI ABA/II!
uiX Music feat
Default ft Eleven Eye/
Dancing uiX Dj Xneakers CPDX1
Bext of all itV FREE999
mo RE BEAD/ THAN BOURBON XT
959 PEARL ST, EUGENE OR
Valentines Day Hon Feb 141&
T&e LOVERS ft HATERS PALL
Uve R&p jby Emenent
So Cover Weekdays means this is FREE!
Mg PEST PROPOSAL
%
PESTPREARtfP
CONTEST