The Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Student Association is a non-profit Taiwanese American organization that “[celebrates] Taiwanese American identity in order to inspire, empower, and activate its community.” Each year, ITASA hosts regional conferences in the West Coast, East Coast, and Midwest. This year’s West Coast conference, "Sailing Beyond the Horizon," will be held at UCSD from April 1-4.

The conference will start off on Thursday with a bonfire and ice breaker games so you can meet Taiwanese American students from other colleges. There will be keynote speakers who will discuss the passions and achievements of Taiwanese Americans, and even celebrities such as Wong Fu Productions will also be attending. On the last day of the conference, Sunday, there will be a banquet and an afterparty. Exciting right? Just in these four days, there will be tons of activities to participate in and great people to meet, and according to those of our TAO board who went to last year’s conference, you definitely won’t regret it!

Register now, before prices go up! And if you want to carpool to the conference, fill out the carpool form.

“The film provides illuminating context for whatever news Taiwan will be making this century.” – Neil Genzlinger, The New York Times

“Formosa Betrayed is a political thriller that marks the first time Hollywood cinema has explored the contentious issue of Taiwan's right to self-determination and independence from China.” The movie features stars like James Van Der Beek from Dawson’s Creek, Will Tiao and Tzi Ma. During our Formosa Betrayed movie event, the TAO board and staff as well as other TAO members had the privilege of meeting with some of the cast after the movie and asking them questions.

So what is the importance of watching this movie? Here's what the makers of Formosa Betrayed have to say: “Though Formosa Betrayed was made by Taiwanese Americans and is the untold story of our elder Taiwanese, it is essential that more than just those that already know the story and history come see the film -- we must encourage ALL of our friends to come and begin to understand the complicated web of relations between the US, Taiwan and China. We need support from ALL AGES in ALL AREAS to not only see this movie but to also bring friends and family to fill those theater seats! High numbers of attendance at our screenings will draw attention and create dialogue about Taiwan in mainstream America and in our own local communities that is critical to increasing support and awareness of Taiwan.”

Formosa Betrayed is still currently playing in theaters near you. For more information about the movie, its locations, and showtimes, visit www.formosathemovie.com, or find the "Formosa Betrayed: The Movie" group on Facebook.

Lantern Festival Night Market. Remember this event name, because after the amazing success of Lantern Festival on February 6, 2010, hosted by TAO UCI and ITASA, it has been decided that the Lantern Festival Night Market will become an annual event!

As we all know, there was a last-minute change of location, as the weather did not permit the event to be held outdoors, as originally planned. However, we did not let the rain deter us. We made the best of it and the change to the Pacific Ballrooms inside UCI Student Center worked out rather well!

At 4PM on the day of the event, we began setting up. There was just so much to do—bringing in the tables, setting out the food, wiring up the lanterns, and organizing last-minute details. True, we made so many preparations prior to this day, but by 6PM, we still were working on finishing touches when the first of the Lantern Festival attendees started arriving! But, soon after that, we were all ready and we were pleased to see people enjoying themselves. Almond pudding, riceballs, lu rou fan, mi fen, and tempura were just some of the food that was served (for those who came late, we apologize for the food situation, as we just did not expect such a huge turnout!). In addition, attendees were able to engage in activities such as making chopstick guns, creating Chinese knots and headbands, writing calligraphy, and catching goldfish with paper nets. Other items were sold too, such as the TAO UCI t-shirt, the beautiful lanterns hanging around the room, and raffle prizes.

Of course, we had special programs set up for entertainment. Diana Li, Charlie Chang, Dr. Ho, and UCSD’s Lion Dance amazed the audience with their amazing performances. In addition to all of that, everyone got to watch TAO UCI’s debut of its TACL Census 2010 Contest video submission.

Overall, the Lantern Festival Night Market was the definition of success, which is why it is being brought back next year (and the years to come)! We would like to thank our sponsors, dedicated staffers and volunteers, and, of course, everyone who attended, because without each and every one of them, Lantern Festival would not have been the successful event as we know it!

Do you want to become more involved with TAO? Do you want to be a part of a team of fun, creative, and passionate people? Do you have skills and talents to contribute, and awesome ideas you want to make a reality? Apply to be a TAO board or staff member for the 2010-11 school year! We are looking for dedicated, loyal, and enthusiastic TAO-ers of freshman, sophomore, or junior standing who can help TAO grow and expand in the upcoming quarters and years.

Download the application!
Board application
Staff application

Please complete and submit to taouci@gmail.com by April 1st.