The Oregon State Memorial Ballroom was sparkling and alive with traditional Cambodian music, colorful Sbai dresses, the smell of spiced food, and the buzz of friendly conversation on the night of Khmer night. 

This past Saturday, the 19th, from 5 to 8 pm, the Oregon State Cambodian Student Association successfully hosted their Khmer culture night for the 15th year in a row. The atmosphere was happy and fun, and the room was practically right as the doors opened at 5 pm. 

The event featured entertaining skits and songs, tables full of friends and families coming together, the OMN photobooth for memories, and a full meal served to the guests. With at least 15 or more tables of 6 or more people, the room was near capacity.  

This event was intended to “showcase Cambodian culture through food, fashion, traditional and non-traditional dance performances, and skits that tell the stories of the Cambodian experience”, according to postings for the event, and Khmer culture resonated through the night. 

The event included mostly students, with some family and alumni, and according to a few, many were not a part of the CSA. Despite not being in the Association, many were returning guests who had attended Khmer night in the past years, and enjoyed their time so much as to come back for 2025. 

One full table jokingly told me they were here for the food, but also loved the program and environment. 

The event was well-staffed by students and faculty, and an itinerary at each place setting outlinined the series of events. The night began with dinner, which volunteers began serving at 5:45-6pm. Togo boxes were distributed to each person with a meal of Lemongrass chicken skewers, Bean Noodle salad, and a choice of dessert, all traditonal Cambodian dishes. 

Following a dinner break, Act 1 began with a Traditional Khmer dance, performed by Denise Mach and Pootnavi Sok. Then Act 2 proceeded with a song performance from Dan Khiev, and then a short intermission. 

The performances were a tribute to the style and culture of Cambodia and the Khmer community. Additionally, guests were simply entertained. 

After the intermission, a highly anticipated group was up, the Hip Hop dance. Two students I talked to were most excited about this performance, both knowing friends in the dance group. 

Grace Swarbrick explained that this was her first time coming to Khner night, and she was first excited for the food, and also was excited to see her friends perform in the hip-hop group. 

The Hip Hop group was the biggest, with 8 students participating. Delaney Mach, Melina Castro, Venus Ngo, Snooker Taemvong, Lapatrada Liawpairoj, Shanelle Ma, Abigal Moran-Kay, and Albert Liu took the stage and performed a couple of songs.

Following the dance, Trivia occurred, and then an Officer dance, which was more of a humorous skit, and finally a fashion show. The event was advertised to be inspired by Saturday Night Live, or satirical talk-show style, and it was no disappointment. 

The overall performance engaged the audience, did not drag on, and achieved the goal of sharing Cambodian culture and camaraderie. Another guest, Swarbrick’s friend Sammi Ly, said that “in my 3rd year, coming back, I always have a lot of fun.”