Dayi Lee said that becoming Ms. Asian Penn State has put her in a position to make a real difference.

"I have passion," she said. "I have the motivation to leave my bubble and promote Asian awareness."

Last night, Purav Patel (junior-marketing) and Lee (sophomore-sociology and management) were crowned Mr. and Ms. Asian Penn State 2005.

The 10th annual event, held in HUB Heritage Hall and presented by Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity and Alpha Kappa Delta Phi sorority, attracted more than 100 students.

The pageant aims to acknowledge strong individuals in the Asian-Pacific-American community at Penn State, said 2005 Pageant Coordinator Larry Wang.

"There are no requirements, but the contestants are very involved in the community in promoting scholarship, leadership and Asian awareness in the university," he said.

Patel, also the service chair of Delta Sigma Iota fraternity, commented on the theme of Asian awareness through the portrayal of Asians in the media today.

"There is more Asian influence now in all sorts of media," he said. "However, Asians are still portrayed as the stereotypical engineers, or students whose parents beat them if they get B's instead of A's. Asians contribute much more to society -- we can take on bigger roles."

A variety of different cultural performances were featured throughout the pageant, including a rhythmic and tropical Tahitian dance by members of Lambda Legacy, a vibrant ribbon dance by members of Sigma Omicron Pi sorority, and a traditional "Maglalatik" dance by members of Penn State Filipino Association.

Kevan Desai (sophomore-finance and economics), who is in Delta Sigma Iota with Patel, said that the pageant continues to be a positive cultural event.

"The Asian community is growing and becoming tight knit," he said.

"It's events like these that continue to bring the Asian community together." he added.