http://uoapasu.org/

For the incoming freshman, welcome to the UO! And for those of you returning, welcome back. I hope everybody is excited for the new academic year. The APASU staff will try their hardest to make it the best year possible!

We have planned out the General Meetings as well as a few social events for ‘09 Fall term; check them out and see what you have to look forward to. Also, keep in mind that APASU is having their annual Fall Reception on October 29th, so be sure to keep that (Thursday) night open!

See you all on Wed. for our open house. We’ll be walking together to the APIA Community Potluck at the Long House after an quick welcome and introduction.

As the heritage month ends, we will be ordering heritage month t-shirts. Prices will vary, but plan on them being around $12 dollars. Here is the design for this year:

Quantities will be limited, so they will be sold on a first come first serve basis. If you want a t-shirt send your name and size (American Apparel’s Small / Medium / Large) to the APASU email (apasu@uoregon.edu) with the subject “Heritage Month T-Shirts).

Yesterday, APASU’s general meeting was about the environmental movement and sustainability. We got to discuss several things like things we knew about global climate change, things we had questions about, the science of heating the earth, things we can do, and why people of color aren’t always inserted in the movement, particularly Asian Americans.  Great stuff, and the conversations need to continue.

Here’s the video I said that I would post cause we didn’t have time. Watch it, and let me know what ya’ll think:

Thanks to all those who continue to come out to our APASU meetings, and I look forward to seeing you for our celebration of the Lunar New Year next week!

A few more tips:

1. Instead of going to Starbucks or the Buzz and using one of their cups, bring your own mug!! If you did this with water bottles (don’t purchase the super plastic bottle pack at costco…) and all other beverages… that’d be a huge impact!

2. Unplug your electrical cords! Especially your phone chargers, laptop chargers, other chargers, when you aren’t using them! Not doing so means that there are elictrical currents still flowing out of the cord, and that means WASTED ENERGY!

Got any other tips of your own? Post ‘em below!

Take care, and have a great rest of week 3!

Your co d,

Justin

I was just cruising on facebook the other day, and I saw that my cousin, Mark, who’s in Fullerton, California right now, posted a video about a Mario Kart Love song. Back in the day, me and my boys would have some heated races that would make Ricky Bobby and Jean Girard look like a game of paper-rock-scissors, so I decided to check that shit out. Initially, I thought, “Who is this clown?” But after listening to it, I was blanketed by a sense of appreciation and an even stronger sense of approval. Sam Hart, the acoustic solo artist, may be kooky with yarn taped to his upper lip, but he definitely wrote a song that takes young adults back to their childhood. Not only was it a well written song, but Hart has a voice that’s very easy on the ears to back his up his guitar. As a result, I hooked up my Nintendo 64, chose Yoshi, and won the mushroom, and the flower cup, and reverse cup…..

There will be a sign-up sheet for the APASU T-shirt!

Quantities are limited, so we will be operating on a first-come-first-serve basis.

The design will be the same one from last year with an updated back (University of Oregon, 2008-2009 will be added).

Front

Back

So I was at Brail’s a few weekends ago with a some buddies after a long night of partying. After Joy the overly enthusiastic owner of the diner took our order, I noticed my friend, Sean humming a lyric that sounded like, “You are the girl that I’ve been dreaming of ever since I was a little girl.”

I looked at him with furrowed brows, and he responded, “Dude, I can’t get this song out of my head. It’s The Black Kids. The singer and synth player half black, half Filipino. You should check them out.” I was kind of puzzled so I asked, “But that’s only one black kid, and one filipino kid for that matter.” He shrugged and sipped on his coffee.

I thought their name was a bit interesting, so I decided to visit their Myspace site to search for the song my friend was singing. Clicking on the most appealing title on their playlist, “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You”, I was uplifted to hear the muted, guitar strums and a synth that was so reminsicent of New Order and the Petshop Boys. The vocals kicked in and the first thing I thought of was Robert Smith of The Cure. If you listen closely to the brief solo of “I’m not gonna teach your boyfriend…”, you’ll get a hint of Joy Division. Other songs I reccomend by them are “Hit The Heartbrakes” and “Love Me Already”.

Are they purposely trying to sound like 80s new wave on purpose? Maybe, but it’s working quite well. They have a certain swagger to them that The Killers, The Bravery, and most other 80s retro bands. Perhaps because their major label hasn’t pressured them yet, perhaps because they take more drugs than The Killers and the Bravery (i like that about them), or perhaps they got popular right in time for the “party album”, as David Letterman said on their performance on the Late Show, to become popular again.

Anyways, check ‘em out.

“Hurricane Jane”

“I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You”

I would just like to give a big Thank You! for everybody that showed up to our Fall Reception last night, including the OSU APASU that drove all the way down to Eugene just to attend. And also, NoHo’s for their yummy food!

This year we tried something different from the past years and instead of having speakers and speeches, we wanted to created a more intimate atmosphere to bring our attendees closer together; so I hope that we were successful in that respect and I hope everybody who came had a good time!

Here is the video we showed after dinner (youTube only allows 10 min long videos, so I had to split it up *sad*):

Part 1:

Part 2:

See you all at our next event!

On Wednesday, November 5th at our weekly general meeting, APASU watched some youtube clips from youtube.

Here are the clips we watched:

1. “American Boy Parody “First Asian Boy”

Lyrics:

LYRICS
Ahem, let me introduce
Myself cuz I know that you aint used
To an asian dude stepping to you like me
But hey give it a chance I just might be
Just the refreshin squeeze of lemon
Ya need in ya life when it gets depressin
Come wit me and decrease the stressing
A new type of dude lemme teach ya a lesson

Babygirl dont trip, come on just take my hand
Ill introduce you to my world, stop in Thailand
I really want to show you how we do
I can be your first asian boy

She said, its really nice to meet ya- likewise
I never had a boy like you wit tight eyes
Step to me quite wit a game like yours
I said pack ya bags and come on my tour
let down ya hair while I cook some rice
And I swear that we dont all look alike
And no, Im not no math expert
But you plus me I know It just works
So pause ya life and start to rewind
And leave all them other lame dudes behind
show you how I do in my continent
Where the ladies get respect and compliments
Confident, not gon be starin all night
Cuz Im not yo average stereotype
More than makin shoes and makin toys
I could make you smile, yo asian boy

Wanna get away? Watcha got to lose?
Come on in girl, take off ya shoes
Show me ya soul and Ill show you mine
If you toes aint did well boo thats just fine
My aunt does nails, nah im just playin
But dont get too comfy, cuz we aint stayin
Take you to Beijing while were dating
Ill show you the great wall, its amazing
Show me ya soul in seoul, Korea
I been lookin for a girl like you my whole career
In the phillipines scene well ride in slowmo
Sit in the lo-lo eat chicken adobo
If you got skills then you could show me
Cuz all of our houses got kareoke
Chinese Japanese thai pnoy
Go head and take yo pick girl, asian boys
kareoke

Who killin them on youtube
She gon respond like You, dude
A shock to me
I didnt think she be watchin me.
She said can we go get some pho now
I said get some what? O wow
Actually Its pronounced pha, oh
Well Can we go get some, fasho
He chinky, I know what ya thinkin.
He look like he always blinkin
Take my hand, come to thailand
she love my Thais but NOT what she drinkin
tell me whats your mental
about this oriental
gentle
man but I break you off like the tip of a pencil.
Dress fly like the freshest prince.
Before they out got the freshest kix
And you thought he was just a hypebeast.
But look at these nikes is anybody like me?
And I know you aint in to my kind.
I seen yo exs they not impressive.
But I still make that CAAASH. Always on my grind im a good investment.
And if you liked jin when he flows.
or Dante Basco on old black shows
then maybe you should daaate me
cuz wed make some pretty baaabiees

CLIP TWO!: Put it in Purse

Clip tatlo. three. girls are like m&m’s

after watchin them… make a few comments below. what did you think? good? bad? any problems? did you like it? did you laugh? when??? you know… just the general stuff.

at wednesday’s meeting, we had some really interesting conversation surrounding asian americans on utube and why it works and maybe why it doesn’t. i challenge you to question what we watch, and these videos are prime examples of that. while we may be able to identify with what it is they’re saying, how are stereotypes presented or issues brought up maybe made more complicated by these youtube clips?

just a thought to ponder on…

until next time, apasu’ers. payce.

- Justin.