Asian Night Market
Students laid out trays of dumplings, sushi and samosas at six vibrant booths set up for the annual Asian Night Market. The auditorium was decorated with national flags and string lights, and filled with the sound of ice machines, K-pop and shouts of “Dried mangoes!”
“I think this is a really great event that serves to represent the Asian community to Exeter as a whole.”
Beginning at eight p.m. this past Saturday, Exonians filled Grainger Auditorium, forming long lines in front of every booth. At the entrance, each student was given seven tickets from a member of the Asian Advisory Board (AAB) that they could exchange for a taste of cuisine from different parts of Asia.
The wide variety of foods attracted students from all around campus. “I came because it sounded interesting, and I miss Chinese food,” said prep Jeffrey Cui. “I think this is a really great event that serves to represent the Asian community to Exeter as a whole.”
Asian Advisory Board adviser and English instructor Wei-Ling Woo explained how the board prepared for the event. “We’ve been planning, organizing and coordinating the various clubs, working with Student Activities to purchase the supplies and decorations that students need, planning the entertainment for the night, curating the playlist and doing publicity for the event,” she said.
After several months of preparation, the Asian cultural clubs of Exeter gathered together to share a piece of their cultures. A variety of clubs were present at the event, including the Association of Southeastern Asian Nations, Japanese American Society, Korean Society, Chinese Student Organization, Pinoy Society and Subcontinent Society.
The Asian Advisory board aimed to represent the diversity of the Asian nationalities at Exeter. “Each of those clubs is bringing cultural foods to share with the community, and the board has had the important job of leading everyone through it,” said upper Adrian Venzon, a member of the board.
No matter their native country, Exonians from every corner gathered together to celebrate and enjoy the many great tastes of Asia. “My favorite drink was the mango lassi. I’m really glad I had it,” said lower Ella Fishman. As a new lower, Fishman was excited to explore her fellow classmates’ cultural cuisines.
Similarly, prep Bizzie Lynch enjoyed the “enriching” experience and appreciated the positive impact it had on PEA’s campus. “I know for that a lot of Asian members of the community, Asian Market Night was a nice reminder of their customs and heritage,” she said.
Senior Anna Clark, a co-head of the Japanese American Society, added that the event brought diverse, authentic Asian food to a campus usually devoid of it. “It’s not like your typical Americanized Asian food; it’s actual, real traditional food,” she said. “I think it allows for the more domestic, traditional aspect of culture.”
Senior Nader Babar, a co-head of the Subcontinent Society, expressed similar sentiments. “I see it as a way for the community at Exeter to see beyond the typical food that you see with Chinese, Japanese or Indian food. What you’ll see instead is more street food in a sense and it brings you a bit closer into our culture,” he said.
After the frenzy around mango lassi and Korean shaved ice had subsided, the room grew silent as Odaiko New England, a taiko performing group, began its drumming performance. The AAB invited the ensemble “in an effort to make our event culturally educational, because in the past we’ve had the problem of [the event] just being about food,” Venzon said. To work towards this goal, Shakti and Beat of Asia, two student dance groups, also performed at the event while accompanied by music from all throughout Asia.
In addition to the food and performances, the Asian Night Market served as a platform for the publication of the first issue of The Phillips Exeter Asian, a new magazine on campus aimed at sharing the voices of Exeter’s Asian and Asian-American population. “I’m really excited to share our publication with everybody and I hope people enjoy it,” said upper Sarah Lu, the director of public relations of The Phillips Exeter Asian. In the publication, Asian-identifying students expressed their creativity and opinions through a variety of platforms including narratives, photography and fashion.
Although some Exonians are thousands of miles away from home, many appreciated the event. These small pieces of home that the Asian Advisory Board gathered together greatly impacted the Exeter community. “We have all these cultural groups,” said prep Isa Matsubayashi. “As an Asian, I feel this unity, and I really like that.”