As the semester starts and students begin their regular activities, a new organization on campus is offering students another opportunity to get involved in campus life. The Vietnamese Student Association, founded in June 2011, helps Vietnamese students adapt to American culture without forgetting their heritage.

Trung Nguyen, president of the VSA, said the organization will help Vietnamese students make a connection with each other. They will also help newcomers to WT.

“When students first come here, they don´t know about the U.S. We can help them get here, find a place to shelter, everything they might need to know,” he said.

VSA´s adviser, Associate Dean and Professor of Management Mills LaVelle said the organization is a good opportunity for Vietnamese students to work together

“The organization will help build camaraderie among them,” she said.

Duy Phan, in charge of the VSA´s communication, said another purpose of the organization is to bring the Vietnamese culture to WT students.

“We are not only international students, we are also WT members,” he said.

Members of the VSA will also network with students in Vietnam so they will know about WT.

“All students from Vietnam come through agents,” Nguyen said. “If we have a good feedback, they will come here. Agents will recommend us to people that want to come here.”

To start the school year, the VSA is hosting the first annual Moon Festival with the purpose of sharing the Vietnamese culture with the WT community,

“It is one of the big festivals in the Vietnamese culture,” Phan said, “It is a festival for children and it is a good time for members in the family to gather together and have fun.”

The event will feature folk dance, musical performance and traditional moon cake and tea. It will take place Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Baptist Student Ministry.