The Vietnamese Student Association transformed the Mandela Room into the colorful Land of Oz for its annual Miss Asia pageant this past Saturday. This year’s theme, “Down the Yellow Brick Road,” celebrated cultural pride, talent and individuality through a night of performances and reflection from contestants representing China, Korea, Punjab and the Philippines.

Chosen in part for its connection to the newly released “Wicked” movie and the nostalgia of “The Wizard of Oz,” the theme set the stage for the event. A yellow brick road lined the entrance, leading to a packed room filled with colorful decorations and a photo booth designed to mimic the magical world of Oz.

“Miss Asia is an important tradition as people have come to associate Miss Asia with the same high quality each year, yet the challenge is constantly improving on the baseline and making it even better each year,” Calvin Chang, a gala chair for VSA and a sophomore majoring in business administration, wrote in an email.

Upon entering, attendees received goodie bags filled with ramen and snacks from sponsors LMNT, Vifon and Yami. Each guest also received raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes including matcha, a tablet and a television. Dinner was catered by Mein Bowl, featuring fried rice, white rice, orange chicken and teriyaki chicken, with drinks provided by Moshi and other sponsors.

The pageant opened with a flag walk. Contestants Joy Lin, Miss China and a junior majoring in biology; Amy Jung, Miss Korea and a junior majoring in biology; Simran Singh, a junior majoring in biology; representing Miss Punjab; and Catherine Guevarra, Miss Philippines and a junior majoring in global public health, took the stage holding their countries’ flags, signaling the beginning of the cultural showcase.

Serena Le, a gala chair for VSA and a sophomore majoring in nursing, explained what organizers look for when selecting contestants.

“Most of all, I feel like we look for commitment, of course, because it is a hard process,” said Le. “Just preparing so many performances in a short amount of time and being there consistently to practice with VSA and with the board. But also their cultural pride — I really love learning about their different cultures, and I feel like a lot of the contestants like learning new cultures.”

The cultural portion gave contestants the chance to showcase traditional dances from their respective heritages. Miss China performed a graceful traditional Chinese dance, while Miss Korea began her performance with a large drum before transitioning into a fan dance. Miss Punjab performed a traditional dance with two background dancers as rainbow lights filled the room and the audience clapped along. Miss Philippines also performed with background dancers, highlighting her country’s dance traditions through an energetic routine.

Attendees played mini games, including “Tornado Twister Trials” and a guessing game to find a “magic charm,” between rounds to keep the audience engaged.

The talent segment allowed contestants to express their creativity and individuality. Miss China performed a cheerleader-inspired dance in her country’s colors, joined by a background dancer who recreated the viral KATSEYE routine to Kelis’ “Milkshake.” Miss Korea showcased three dance styles, including a hip-hop number to Kendrick Lamar’s “HUMBLE.” Miss Punjab performed a Caribbean-style dance with two background dancers, while Miss Philippines sang “Beaches” by beabadoobee as the audience illuminated the room with their phone flashlights.

For the costume round, contestants embraced “The Wizard of Oz” theme. Miss China appeared as Dorothy, walking out to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and tossing candies to the audience. Miss Korea dressed as the Cowardly Lion and danced to “Confident” by Justin Bieber. Miss Punjab dressed as a flying monkey, while Miss Philippines embodied Glinda the Good Witch, lip-syncing to “Popular” from Wicked. Audience members voted for Crowd Favorite, Best Costume and Social Media Favorite throughout the event.

In the final walk, contestants wore formal dresses and sashes featuring the names of their represented countries before taking part in the “Ruby Slipper Reflection,” where they shared what Miss Asia meant to them.

Lin, who represented Miss China, described how the pageant allowed her to grow beyond her comfort zone.

“Some of you know me — I was one of the quietest of my high school graduating class, and for me, getting up here today, it’s a very big challenge for me,” Lin said. “I think I’m really glad to have Miss Asia as a platform for me to showcase myself and to meet so many wonderful friends I’ve made along the way.”

Jung, representing Miss Korea, reflected on the deeper meaning behind her performance.

“I personally wanted to do Miss Asia because I know that Korean culture is known today as K-Pop or publicly known snacks,” Jung said. “But obviously, our culture has a deeper root than that and a lot more history, so I showed my Korean traditional dance today. And I also wanted to come out of my comfort zone, and thankfully, I was able to be given the gift of being able to dance and use my body in that way.”

Guevarra, who represented the Philippines, discussed colorism within many Asian cultures. Growing up, she was taught to straighten her natural hair to better adhere to these beauty standards. In her presentation, she wanted to draw attention to “all the unique parts of ourselves.”

The event concluded with the announcement of audience-voted superlatives. Best Costume went to Miss Punjab, while Social Media Favorite and Crowd Favorite were both awarded to Miss Philippines. Finally, Lin was crowned Miss Asia 2025, marking the end of an evening that celebrated culture, creativity and confidence.

Lin took a moment to express her gratitude toward those who supported her journey.

“I’d like to thank my friends who never stopped believing in me and encouraged me to go the whole way,” Lin said. “There were nights where I felt like I wasn’t able to pull through and wanted to give up.”

“But I want to say for anyone who is scared to step outside the box or be on stage next year or in the spring, don’t hesitate, just do it,” she continued.