We first met during our freshman year!! Remember?!? We played "Lang Toi" during that year's VCN, and then quarters later we had Antro together.  Then you took some pictures for me!! You're such a dear friend to me!

Hello,

I found your email on Xanga's VSA and would like to invite you and your VSA to the VIA1 Conference (Vietnamese Interacting as One).  This spring break, my school the U of Minnesota will be hosting the VIA-1 Conference--somewhat like a national VSA conference. This will be the 4th annual conference, and we're trying to make it the biggest.

We will have notable Vietnamese speakers from across the country come and discuss about Vietnamese-American issues, campaigns suck as VietACT to combat Vietnamese female trafficking, and also a concert w/ professional singers such as Nhu Loan and others.

I hope you can spread the word to your VSA.  If interested, please do not hesitate to email me back at dominiclai116@gmail.com or visit my xanga at lost_shooter.

- Dominic

Second Annual National Vietnamese American Student Conference (VASCON) Expected to Draw Large Numbers and Create Big Impact 
 
AUSTIN, Texas – January 2, 2006

Asian American student activists nationwide will be flooding the downtown streets of Austin on the weekend of March 24-26, 2006 for the second annual VASCON to be held at the Omni Hotel. The upcoming conference is expected to even exceed last year's audience of several hundred. Students attend with the hopes of creating stronger bonds nationwide while trying to catapult change for a generation that has been silent thus far. 
 
Founder and President Kym Pham created VASCON with one vision in mind: creating an outlet that would eventually lead to the cessation of human rights suffering. Her passion, vision, and years of work led to one of the first national conferences specifically for Vietnamese Americans. And it is one of a kind. 
 
"Passion is what I run on," said Pham. "Used wisely, with a purpose, and it becomes a saving grace." 
 
Last year's conference drew world-renowned speakers in the Vietnamese community, such as political prisoner Doan Viet Hoat and spoken word artist Bao Phi. Workshops encompassed ideas from political activism to the history of Vietnam. Many attendees like Sophia Hong left the conference awed and inspired. 
 
"The conference brought to light all the things that many people try to push away and ignore," declared Hong. "It renewed me with a sense of purpose." 
 
Early this year, VASCON organized a charity dinner for landmine victims, a majority of whom are concentrated in Vietnam, and was able to raise nearly $1,000 in donations, as well as inspire the start of a new organization on the University of Texas campus specifically aimed at raising awareness about the global landmine issue. 
 
But despite the rave reviews that last year's conference received, this year's conference promises to be even bigger and better.  Pham promises to incorporate more interaction between the attendees as well as offer concrete ways for student to stand up and take action. 
 
Other changes taking place within VASCON include the birth of a concept called "National Representatives." VASCON is recruiting students nationwide to take part in the conference through advertising and collaboration. With the help of more voices, Pham hopes to dramatically increase the number of attendees to this year's conference. 
 
The theme for VASCON2 is "Building Bridges." It encompasses the direction the VASCON board intends on taking with the conference - closing the gap between different generations, races and ideas. 
 
Registration costs for the conference will range from $40-$170 (higher prices for hotel packages) and have begun in early January. To reach the registration form online, visit www.vascon2.org. Applications for National Representatives and volunteers are still being accepted. Please direct any questions, comments, and application requests to vascon.communications@gmail.com.

Public Relations Contact: 
 
Kim Ho 
VASCON2 
(832) 282-7546
www.vascon2.org

Hi there, Anne! Will you join the SoCal Walk Against Trafficking on May 13th?

www.vietact.org