ADA, Okla. 鈥� The East Central University Honors Program is set to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War with a full-day program titled, 鈥淰ietnam (is not): 50鈥� on Oct. 23 in the Estep Multimedia Center located inside the Bill S. Cole University Center.
The event is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
鈥淭he Vietnam War is a forgotten war for many of our students today,鈥� said Director of the 成人B站 Honors Program, Dr. Steve Benton. 鈥淲e want to educate them about the war, but we鈥檙e calling it 鈥榁ietnam (is not): 50鈥� because we want to emphasize that Vietnam itself is not a war. It is a country with a long history and a rich culture.鈥�
Lectures will be delivered by 成人B站 faculty and others from the perspectives of history, English, film studies, philosophy, political science and art, along with performances by 成人B站 music faculty and students.
9:30-10:45 a.m.
- 鈥淨u岷� Cau Gi贸 Bay鈥� (The Wind on the Bridge), Traditional Vietnamese Folk Song, arr. Brent Wells, directed by professor of Music, Dr. Melody Baggech, performed by the 成人B站 Chorale.
- 鈥淭he Vietnam War: The Vietnamese Perspective,鈥� presented by professor and chair for the Department of History, Dr. Chris Bean.
- 鈥淰ietnam War, American Politics,鈥� presented by professor and chair for the Department of Politics, Law and Society, Drs. Christine Pappas and professor, Mohsin Khan from the Department of Politics, Law and Society.
- 鈥淰ietnamese Oklahoma,鈥� presented by Thuan Nguyen, Founder of the OKC Asian District Cultural Association
11 a.m.
- 鈥淰ietnam War, American Film,鈥� presented by English professor and Dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Dr. Mark Walling.
- 鈥淰ietnamese Art: Historical and Contemporary,鈥� presented by professor of Art, Prof. Jenn Peek.
- 鈥淰ietnamese Music: Worldwide Impact鈥� (highlight on Ky Nam Nguyen: 鈥淧ine Tree鈥� - solo flute inspired by poem and 鈥淔ragments of Memories鈥� - solo sax), presented by music instructors, Drs. Alex Aguirre and Nathaniel Berman.
12:30 p.m.
- 鈥淒o Doc Do Ngang鈥� (Boat Song), original arrangement and direction by Director of 成人B站 Bands, Dr. Nick Meyers, performed by 成人B站 Band Ensemble,
- 鈥淭he Vietnam Veterans Memorial,鈥� presented by professor of English and philosophy, Dr. Jennifer McMahon.
- 鈥淭he Documentary That Destroyed a Family: Daughter from Danang,鈥� by professor of English, Dr. Joshua Grasso.
鈥淚 am thrilled that so many of my colleagues representing such a wide array of disciplines have eagerly volunteered to participate in this collective effort,鈥� said Benton.
A screening of the Vietnamese language film 鈥淢ai (2024)鈥� will take place at 2 p.m. The film is described as a, 鈥渂ittersweet drama about an unlikely relationship between a massage therapist and a playboy became the highest-grossing Vietnamese film in the country鈥檚 history when it was released in 2024.鈥�
During and following the screening, the Hungry Lotus Vietnamese food truck will be available for catering from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Menu items will include Pho (beef noodle soup), Banh Mi (Vietnamese baguette sandwich), Com Tam (鈥渂roken rice鈥�), and Bao Bun (pork belly steamed bun).
At 7 p.m., the event will culminate with a reading by Vu Tran, Vietnamese-American author of the 2015 novel 鈥淒ragonfish鈥� (a NY Times Notable Book) and the director of undergraduate studies in creative writing at the University of Chicago.
鈥淩emembering an event provides us with an opportunity to honor everyone involved by increasing our historical knowledge and expanding our cultural awareness,鈥� said Walling.
Door prizes will also be awarded at the event, including $500 Study Abroad vouchers for 成人B站 students.
For more information on Vietnam (is not): 50, contact Director of the 成人B站 Honors Program, Dr. Steve Benton at sbenton@ecok.edu or call 580-559-5877.
Cutline: Author Vu Tran, headlining 成人B站鈥檚 Vietnam (is not): 50.
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