To start a blog off normally, the blogger introduces himself and explains what his intentions for the blog are, what his hopes, dreams, and fantasies for the blog are; hoping that one day, this blog will be read by millions and billions and zillions of people. Alright. That may a stretch, but it’s ok to dream isn’t it? But yes, the blogger wants to be heard by the mass public and have their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives understood.

Enter Blogger.

Hello! My name is Vigor Lam and I am the Advocacy Chair for the Midwest Asian American Students Union during the 2010-2011 year. As the Advocacy Chair, it is my job to “advocate” about Asian American Issues and blog about them! First off, let’s get some introductions going.

I am going to be a junior this fall at THE Ohio State University. (Yes, I do have a pompous pride for the university. Please don’t judge me haha. It will not show in this blog though, I promise.) I am majoring in Landscape Architecture and hoping to minor in Entrepreneurship. I'm involved on campus with various organizations. I am Co-President of the Asian American Association with fellow MAASU ECC Member Teresa Lai! I'm also involved with Asian American InterVarsity, Chimes Junior Class Honorary, Golden Key International Honors Society, Habitat for Humanity, the Students Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects, and SERVitecture.

People usually gasp or go “Oooo!” when they hear me say my major, but they don’t really know what it is. So I will explain it. No, I don’t only plant trees and do landscaping in your yard. Landscape architecture is so much more! In a nutshell, the major emphasizes design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve sustainable and environmental outcomes. Landscape architects design parks ranging from large to small scale. Oh, and I get to doodle, sketch, and build a lot of cool models.

To talk more about myself, I enjoy hanging out with my family and going out with friends. I am not a picky eater. I eat. Everything. I love to eat. Food is my weakness for sure. Other tidbits about me include my love for the Asian community and the culture. I am Cantonese, and can speak it fluently! I can also speak basic Mandarin and should be fluent in German. Verrückt stimmt?! I love to learn languages and I REALLY want to learn Korean! I enjoy swimming, working out, and playing sports whenever. Snowboarding is one of my favorite pastimes. I also strive to play guitar well and play piano. I am a Christian and as I said, I’m currently in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship on campus and also attend church to learn more about the religion.

Enough about me though! This blog is about advocacy and that is exactly what I am going to do. Even though it's normal for a blogger to include his perspective, the main purpose of this blog is to inform the general public on issues that are relevant to APIA issues. I will NOT include my stance or debate on very controversial topics, nor will I attempt to persuade you, my readers, to think a certain way. The biggest thing I want you to get out of reading this blog is to understand the issues that Asian Americans and Americans are currently facing.

If you have any questions or suggestions for this blog, please don’t hesitate to email me at vigorlam.2012@gmail.com!

My first entry on a topic will be about the DREAM Act and the recent Arizona act that was passed. Look out for that in the near future! Thanks for reading! Until then, toodles!

-Veegor.

End Blogger.

The United States Coast Guard is a proud sponsor of MAASU and present to you this opportunity for free tuition to students:

They will be at the career fair at the upcoming MAASU 2010 Spring Conference, so be sure to check out their table to find out more information.

Dear MAASU readers,

SC is a little over a week away and if you haven't noticed already, registration is now closed! I'm very excited to meet you all and wanted to include some information for those of you interested in becoming more involved with MAASU with the upcoming year :)

First of all, I want to encourage those of you who have registered to apply for ECC! You will need to submit an electronic application to be by this Sunday, April 4th and prepare a brief 2-minute speech during Elections at SC! This is a great opportunity for you to develop your leadership skills and give your school a voice in MAASU. By working with other passionate Asian American leadership across the Midwest, you'll be able to obtain valuable experience to bring back to your campus and apply with your respective organizations. You can read about our roles and contact us directly to learn more about how you can contribute :)

Secondly, if your school is interested in bidding for the 2010 Fall Leadership Retreat or 2011 Spring Conference, please e-mail me if you haven't done so already or else your school will not receive a slot to present your bid! Bids are due to me by next Wednesday, April 7th and your school will be expected to give a 10-minute Powerpoint presentation to present your bid and have 5-minutes of Q&A.

Lastly, each member school has an M-Rep each academic year that serves as the liason between their schools and MAASU. You can read more about the M-Rep role and what having a voice in our general assembly means here. If you have interest in serving as the M-Rep for your school next year, please e-mail communications@maasu.org!

Thanks so much for supporting MAASU and I look forward to seeing you all soon on our campus!

Judy Sun
MAASU Chairwoman
The Ohio State University
judy.sun@maasu.org

Feel like you have what it takes to be a leader in the Midwest Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) movement? Apply for the MAASU 2010-2011 Executive Coordinating Committee!

The objectives of the Midwest Asian American Students Union are:

• To serve as a resource for schools interested in the establishment of APIA student organizations, APIA cultural centers and/or Asian American Studies programs.
• To promote leadership among APIA students through programs including, but not limited to, the Fall Leadership Retreat, and Spring Conference.
• To address the educational needs and rights of the APIA community.
• To develop and maintain a channel of communication for APIA student organizations in the Midwest through e-mails, monthly newsletters, and networking opportunities.
• To assist and encourage APIA students to work toward social change, by providing a forum for social consciousness.
• To unite the APIA community across multiple identities.

Throughout the year we serve as a resource for schools across the Midwest region, acting on advocacy issues, creating programs to unite our campuses over a common cause, offering career and higher education opportunities, and enabling schools to network with one another.

As members of MAASU ECC, you will be expected to be:

• Students first, prioritizing your studies over your involvement
• Professional in representing MAASU
• Effective and responsive in communicating with others
• Present at bi-weekly conference calls, meetings, and conferences
• Committed advocates to serving the APIA community

Please download the application here and e-mail the completed application to judy.sun@maasu.org by April 4th for the next steps!

STATE OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICA HOUSE PARTY 2010
On Sunday, May 2nd, please join Asian Pacific Americans for Progress as we host our annual State of Asian Pacific America House Party. Last year, attendees at house parties all across the country got to hear from such noted guests as Barack Obama's brother-in-law, Konrad Ng; the White House's Tina Tchen; Assistant Secretary for Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth and Congress members Judy Chu and Joe Sestak. We are currently lining up an equally impressive line-up so start preparing to host your party now!

WHAT: State of Asian Pacific America House Party 2010
WHO: Hosted by Asian Pacific Americans for Progress
DATE: Sunday, May 2, 2010
TIME: 4-6 pm EST, 1-3 pm PST, 10 am - 12 pm Hawaii

HOSTING A PARTY
Consider hosting a party. It's easy. Just gather 12-20 friends, family members or co-workers and call into our conference call. You can even provide snacks or make it a potluck.

On the call, each guest will speak for a few minutes and then take a question or two. Afterwards, we hope you and the attendees at your party will discuss what issues are important to you and then to write up a report and post it on the APAP website with pictures. This will become a record of the issues that AAPI's around the country are talking about. We'll even submit a report to the Obama administration.

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS FOR PROGRESS
Asian Pacific Americans for Progress is a national network of progressive Asian Americans and allies. As a 501(c)4, our main goals are educational including, screenings, townhalls and trainings. Since our founding in 2004, as part of the Howard Dean campaign, we have gone on to host national house parties with Dean, Senator John Kerry, Congressman Mike Honda, Elizabeth Edwards and others. We have also organized trainings, townhalls and community forums around the country. In 2009, we produced our first documentary, "Vincent Who?"

For more information, go to: www.apaforprogress.org

Hope Initiative, Inc.
presents

Since its inception, the Hope Initiative Scholarship Program has upheld the aspiration to promote academic excellence and to provide an opportunity for outstanding students with significant financial need to reach their highest potential. Year after year, Hope Initiative awards scholarships to qualified, full-time attending high school, college, or graduate students in the United States. As a charitable organization, we wish to recognize students with a demonstrated commitment to leadership and assist them in continuing their education. The recipients must be upstanding citizens, role-models for other students, and active members or leaders within their community.

This year, we are proud to announce that Hope Initiative, Inc. will award ten scholarships of $1,500 each to students between the ages of 17 and 25 who demonstrate exemplary dedication to service in their communities. All applicants must be pursuing full-time study at an accredited undergraduate or graduate institution in the U.S. for Fall 2010. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to apply. Please visit our website at http://www.hionline.org/scholarship.aspx for more information regarding instructions for the application process.
Instructions:

1. Download all documents from our website: http://www.hionline.org/scholarship.aspx
2. Read all instructions and requirements on our website carefully
3. Fill out the application form online, submit your personal essay online, and have your letter of recommendation emailed directly by your recommender to Jacqueline.Dan@hionline.org
4. Make sure HI will receive all the application materials by May 1st, 2010, CST.

HI will begin receiving applications for the scholarship on January 15th, 2010. We look forward to reading your stories and offering you the possibility to further your educational dreams.

Click on the picture to get the latest news!
Read more about the details for this year's Spring Conference in Columbus, OH. Also included in this article are the MAASU 2010 awards news, Capal Internships and exciting news about Kollaboration!

Dear MAASU members,

MAASU would like to invite you to apply for two awards that will be recognized at the SC banquet:

Charles Chang Leadership Award: In honor of the founder of MAASU, this award is given to an individual student who has demonstrated leadership and dedication to the APIA community. The recipient will receive a $500 scholarship and plaque.

Board of Advisors Award: Each year this award recognizes one APIA student organization or school that has made great accomplishments and efforts on their campus and in the MAASU community.

Click the links for more information about the awards, the selection criteria, and how to apply for the awards. The deadline for all applications and nomination forms will be due February 26th March 12th, 2010 and to receive the awards you must be present at MAASU 2010 SC.

We look forward to receiving your applications...and look out for the SC website soon! :)