Students from Asian Student Union’s Internship program gave Tyra Banks a run for her money with their version of the hit television show America’s Next Top Asian model.

Appropriately named “America’s Next Top ASIAN Model,” the team called the Ninja Pandas from the ASU internship program, threw a runway show in the Humanities Building at SF State, which focused on historic and modern clothing in relation to Asian culture.

“We are throwing this event to stress how fashion, culture, and identity relate to our lives,” said Beatrice Cheung, who acted as a facilitator for the evening.

According to Cheung and the Asian Student Union’s website, the evening’s mock fashion show was an activity requirement of the 10-week internship program offered by ASU each semester. Students enrolled in Asian American or professor-approved Ethnic Studies courses obtain exemptions from completing certain assignments allowing them to gain participation points through their participation in the program.

The points are than translated into a letter grade, explains the internship’s website syllabus.

Assignments to accrue points include activities such as attending internship meetings and events as well as ASU members' meetings. Students must also perform community service activities, write responses to ethnic issues called ethnic enclave studies, and orchestrate a leadership event.

The leadership event accounts for the largest point count of any of the other assignments, 150 points of a possible 500 points, and requires students to break into groups in order for the students to build leadership skills on topic of their choosing, said nursing student, Quoc Nguyen.

Tuesday’s America’s Next Top Asian Model event was the leadership event thrown by the Ninja Panda’s

Quoc Nguyen, 18, who played the reality show’s judge Nigel Barker during the fashion show. He originally joined the internship program as a way to meet new people and find himself, he said.

“[Through the internship program] I am gaining a better understanding of different cultures and their struggles,” said Nguyen, sitting behind the judges’ table draped with a hot pink piece of furry cloth.

While the event was presented as a spin-off of the Tyra Banks reality series, the “fashion models,” focus was not on the beauty of how photogenic or well they could rock a certain style in ridiculous settings and circumstances. Instead, the show focused on educating attendees of the struggles of Asian cultures in times past and the celebration of the personal styles of the “models” today.

“How does culture define the traditional trends of fashion,” Cheung asked among other probing questions aimed at the audience.

“Well, today we [the Ninja Pandas] give you our answers...and what better way then with a spin off.”

As the lights cut completely the room lite only by the soft glow of dainty Christmas lights strung across the bottom of the chalkboard. A full house of students were seated in a configuration of rows set-up to create an L-shaped path for the models to work their tiled catwalk.

The “models” sauntered to the center of the room where the house lights would come up and the intense beats played low in the background. However instead of the unusual commentation from an outside party-- the models haulted front and center to explain the origin of their chosen pieces.

Traditional clothing from Filipino, Mongolian, and Chinese culture were presented. 3rd year Kinesiology major Jason Agpaoa modeled an egg shell colored shirt called, a Barong. According to Agpaoa, the origins of the Barong date back to the times of Spanish Colonialism from the 1500s to the late 1800s.

While the shirt’s present-day use is to be worn at weddings or significant ceremonies in the Filipino culture, its historical use was based upon its flimsy material-- which made it easier for the Spaniards to see if the Filipino male wearing it was concealing a weapon.

“It represents my culture and the history of what happened to Filipinos through 300 years of colonization,” explained Agpaoa before he exited.

While the first half of the show was dedicated to historic events, the second focused on individual style and flavors of the models as unique individuals. Although Cheung acted as a facililator in the first half of the program, she emerged to the front of the room without her original outfit dress pants and a vest-- but rather a simple men’s graphic tee, jeans, and slip-on Vans shoes.

“The colors gold and red represent earth and fire,” explained Cheung to the audience as he pointed to the Chinese character for war that decorated her t-shirt.

“The Chinese character for war and fiery colors show that I’m a fighter, but I can be laid back, hard working and responsible.”

After the showcase of original styles, the judges deliberated, asking the audience for their opinion. However, after commentary from the audience, the panel announced that each “contestant” had potential to be “Top Elite Models”, and were therefore safe to go on to compete in Tokyo at the “next elimination.”

After the event, many students such as William Kwok, 20, said that they learned a lot about the history of certain aspects of Asian culture. Kwok said that he was very impressed with the promotion and facts that he acquired by attending.

“I learned a lot about Filipino and Mongolian culture-- I [inadvertently] picked up a history lesson, “ said Kwok.