The quad erupted with activity as the EPIC club crossed paths with the Stockton Delta Dance Company (SDDC) during Club Rush on Sept. 12.
While participating in spontaneous choreographed group dances, posing for photos and dancing for TikToks, EPIC Club members held signs inviting attendees to join the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) focused club. This positivity party isn’t just reserved for the high spirits of Club Rush, but heralds this year’s renewal of EPIC’s mission statement: Empowering Positive Initiatives for Change.
First-time EPIC club president Sydney Tran plans to accomplish this through community bonding events, increased representation and a focus on traditional dance.
“Dance is a form of art and it’s something that I think is very captivating to everyone’s eyes,” said Tran.
Tran’s own experiences learning a Filipino folk dance, models her expectations. “I wasn’t familiar with tinikling last year, but I did it to just get involved and understand and like, appreciate some traditions like the dance,” she said. Tran hopes that by offering dance events and lessons community members will be more likely to get involved and learn about AAPI culture and history.
Tran said EPIC promotes every facet of the AAPI community, even the often overlooked demographics like Pacific Islanders.
“One of our officers is actually Hawaiian, so last year for the AAPI cultural event we actually had her do a Tahitian dance. And I was part of it too. She taught us the dance and we performed it, and this year we’re gonna try to do it again,” Tran said.
Field trips round out EPIC’s initiative. Last year the club visited several locations important to the AAPI community, including Angel Island, San Francisco’s Railroad Museum, and Stockton’s own downtown. These trips focus on tradition and culture, but also the AAPI community’s long and arduous history in California and the United States.
“There’s so many different cultures in America and ethnic groups that like, if we don’t preserve it, it can get like, forgotten” Tran said. EPIC and clubs like it are important to the preservation of the U.S. immigration history, both of the positive and not-so-positive aspects of that history. Through events, representation, and dance Tran says of EPIC “We’re representing our community, like, we’re showing face.”
EPIC’s mission is to preserve and celebrate AAPI culture and history, but being a part of the AAPI community is not required to join.
“We support like, all minority groups,” said Tran. “Our main goal is to support the minority groups. So that includes like, Latinx and the Black community, but anyone can join.”
The catalyst for this mission renewal came from Tran herself.
“I felt like we were disconnected from the club,” said Tran, who was a member of EPIC last year, “This year I really want to make it close-knitted so everyone can like, come back and like, stay involved.”
The first step on this mission? A Boba Bash, happening later this month on Sept. 26, from 12:30 pm – 2:30 p.m. at the Shima Greens.
Tran said EPIC will provide free catered boba in a self-serve format. There will also be a group activity where participants can paint tote bags together.
“Drink boba, paint some tote bags, and then we also have some games planned out too,” Tran said, noting that more events like this are in the works for EPIC.
Video of Epic’s dance collaboration with SCCD are posted on the club’s Instagram epic_club_sjdc alongside media of other past events.
