Community Building::
One of the goals HSAC tries to accomplish each year involves the establishment of a central community for Hmong students in Colorado. It is not uncommon to find that the reason some minority students withdraw from the university is due to feeling socially uncomfortable within their new environment. By planning periodic social group activities, HSAC encourages and promotes student-to-student interaction in building a community.

HSAC Annual Cultural Event::
In the past HSAC has held different kinds of events and shows, here are some previous ones you may have seen.

• 2002-03: HSA Culture Fair
  Featured guest speaker -- Dr. Dia Cha who spoke on "The History of Hmong People" with a fair with many booths that share the culture through art, music, and more!

• 2003-04: HSA Culture Night
  There was a show with many cultural performances by local Hmong groups, a fashion show and other traditional performances of music, plus HSA's "Mus Kawm Ntawv Qib Siab" skit about higher education.

• 2004-05: HSA Culture Night
  The culture night featured a 4+ hour show of entertainment from special guest Tou Saiko Lee (Spokenword Artist from MN), local Hmong performers, a fashion show: 30 Years of Hmong Fashion in America, and HSA's skit: "The Forgotten Soldier."

• 2005-06: HSAC Culture Night
  HSAC brought to CU, Hmong activist, Yang Chee to speak about the progression of the Hmong people in the United States and his experiences as of the first Hmong refugees to land in Colorado. In addition to the usual cultural performances, HSAC put together a short play "Ob Lub Neej" which compares women and marriage situations in the Hmong culture throughout time.

• 2006-2007:  HSAC Culture Night – Capturing a Legacy of Success
  Hmong comedian and rap artist Tou Ger Xiong was brought in to perform on the CU Boulder campus. The night was filled with many cultural performances, raffle prizes given out to the audience, and food catered by Wok N’ Roll. Tou Ger Xiong capped off the evening with one of his cultural comedic shows which brought in an audience of 500+ from around the Denver/Boulder area.
  
  
• 2007-2008:  HSAC Culture Night – A Culture of Our Own
  This was the first HSAC Culture Night to be held on the UC Denver/Auraria Campus in Downtown Denver. Cultural performances and food catered by Woody’s started off the eveing. As the first show to be held in Denver, HSAC also brought in their first non-Hmong guest speaker, Rob Gosbee, director of the documentary Secret War. Rob screened clips from the video and spoke about what inspired him to create the video about the Hmong and the Secret War in Laos.

Hmong National Conference::
The Hmong National Conference is held annually by the Hmong National Development organization in initiation to educate the Hmong community in development from their "old ways" and to strive for a successful future. For reasons that 'the old way' is stressed in the Hmong culture, this is a step to help fix the gap between the generations. HSAC members who have gone were able to bring important knowledge back to the group as well as networked with many elite individuals in the Hmong community. For more info see: HND

• 2006-2007:  Several HSAC members attended the conference in Detroit, Michigan to shadow the planning committee.  The planning experience they gained from the conference was carried over into the 2008 conference held in Denver, Colorado. 

• 2007-2008:  Many of the HSAC members were involved with the local planning committee for the 13th Hmong National Conference held in Denver, Colorado.  HSAC played a major role in putting together this conference as majority of the planning committee was the students.  This was an experience HSAC members will take and remember forever.

Annual Colorado Hmong New Year::
The Hmong New Year is an event that has been going on for several years to celebrate the beauty of Hmong culture and a new year.

• 2002-03: HSA invited anyone with interest in the Hmong culture at CU-Boulder to attend the Hmong New Year on a "field trip" to the event.

• 2003-04: In addition to the field trip, HSA was the Decorations Committee for the New Year. They also put on a skit about higher education -- "Mus Kawm Ntawv Qib Siab"

• 2004-05: HSA had another field trip to the Colorado Hmong New Year celebration for the CU community. A continuation to their previous skit called "Mus Kawm Muaj Nuj Nqi Tshaj" was performed to discuss the importance of higher education in comparison to marrying young.

• 2005-06: HSAC held the fashion show portion of the New Years featuring traditional clothes from many Hmong tribes including small skits.

• 2007-2008: HSAC members were involved with the Colorado Hmong New Year Committee helping with decorations and planning the event. During the celebration, HSAC also sold t-shirts and calendars as a fundraiser.

• 2008-2009: Once again, HSAC helped out the Hmong New Year Committee with decorations. During the event, HSAC put together a short skit, "The Orphan Boy" and performed it to the audience. Fundraisers during this celebration included face painting, t-shirts, and balloon animals, in which the funds go towards the HSAC Scholarship that will be given to graduating Hmong high school students in Colorado in the spring of 2009.

Summer Festivals::
The Hmong Colorado Community usually holds annual summer festivals.  In the past few years, HSAC has attended both HMAAC and HCR’s summer sports tournament and festivals.  These festivals gives HSAC an opportunity to fundraise and also to interact with the local community.  The festivals have helped expand HSAC as a group and reach out to both the youth and elders within the community.

Some Previous HSAC Fundraisers::
Much funding for the association is from their higher education facilities and other student funding sources. The following are some other fun fundraisers  that HSAC members held.

• Summer 2004: Some members put some of their old unused items to use by selling them to raise some money for the organization.

• Fall 2004 & Spring 2006: In attempt to raise money for a retreat and sending members to the Hmong National Conference, HSAC members sold Kripsy Kreme Donuts.

• Fall 2005: HSAC put together their first Hmong Colorado Students in college calendar.

• 2007-2008:  HSAC put together their 2nd calendar and designed t-shirts that were sold at the Hmong New Year Celebration.  Butter Braids also was a fundraiser idea in the spring.

Social Activities::
Who said that we are all work and no play?? Although HSAC spends a lot of time running around planning events and volunteering in the community, HSAC takes time out of a busy schedule for the members to enjoy a social activity. Social activities are designed so that the members can be on a more personal level with each other or just work together as a team. School is hard and can be stressful sometimes so we relax to a conversation at dinner, a night out, celebrating a birthday or holiday, and more!!! It's hard to work together if members aren't comfortable with each other so this is just the thing we do to build a stronger community within HSAC. 

• HSAC Summer camping trip
• HSAC Winter Retreat
• Movie Nights
• And even more FUN Activities that members can think of!